Meta, formerly Facebook, in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has launched ‘AMBER Alerts’ on Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria, to increase the chances of finding missing children by increasing the number of people on the lookout.

With this update, when an AMBER Alert is activated by NAPTIP or relevant law enforcement, the alert will appear on the Facebook and Instagram feeds of users for tracing.

Meta’s Director of Trust and Safety, Emily Vacher, at the launch in Abuja yesterday, said: “Already available across 28 countries globally, we are proud to partner with NAPTIP to make AMBER Alert available in Nigeria-the second African country to join this programme.”

Meta’s Head of Public Policy, Adaora Ikenze, Anglophone West Africa, said: “We know our apps can be used as a force for good, and the AMBER Alert launch across Instagram and Facebook highlights this.”

The Director General of NAPTIP, Fatima Waziri-Azi, said it was timely as the agency and others are grappling with incremental cases of missing children.

“In the past year, NAPTIP has recovered 13 abducted children, out of which 12 were reunited with their parents. One is still in our custody.

“With these alerts, communities will instantly be galvanised to assist in the search for and safe recovery of missing children. This innovative partnership with Meta will impact our investigative and rescue efforts,” she said.