TheCable

Few days after President Barack Obama named Adewale Adeyemo as deputy national security adviser (NSA) for international economics, the number-one US citizen has appointed Bukola Oriola, a Nigerian-American journalist, as a member of the US advisory council on human trafficking,

The White House office of the press secretary announced Oriola’s appointment and that of 10 others, saying Obama was honoured to have them serve the country.

“They bring their years of experience and expertise to this administration, and I look forward to working with them,” the statement quoted Obama as saying.

The statement said Oriola has served as an independent consultant, speaker, and author on human trafficking issues since 2009.

It added that she founded ‘The Entian Story’ in 2013, a non-profit organisation “which advocates for survivors of human trafficking and domestic abuse” after her personal experience when she relocated to the US from Nigeria.

“In 2009, Ms. Oriola published her book Imprisoned: The Travails of a Trafficked Victim and began producing Imprisoned Show,” the statement read.

“Ms. Oriola has owned and managed Bukola Braiding and Beauty Supply since 2007.

“She was a reporter and researcher for Century Media Limited in Lagos, Nigeria from 2003 to 2005. Ms. Oriola received an A.S. from The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo.

“She began her journalism career in Nigeria in 2000 at Common Interest Communications, Publishers of the defunct National Interest Newspapers and later joined the defunct New Age Newspaper.

“In 2005, Oriola won the Cadbury National Award for Education Reporters and is a fellow of the International Institute for Journalism, Germany.”

Responding to her appointment, Oriola who was in Nigeria in September on sensitisation campaign against human trafficking, said she was grateful and humbled.

“Please join me in thanking God on my behalf. I regard the appointment as an opportunity to do more than I have been doing in advocating against Human Trafficking in the United States and in other parts of the world,” she said.