Nigerian Government Reiterates Commitment To Creating Conducive Environment For Human Rights Protection

The Nigerian government has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting, protecting, and enforcing human rights in Nigeria by establishing a framework in which the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) can effectively carry out its mandate.

The government also promised to help the NHRC establish offices across the country to strengthen its independence and efforts to protect citizens’ rights.

The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, made this statement on the occasion of the commissioning of the NHRC’s Lagos State office, noting that the Commission’s operational independence will be strengthened in the future by the construction of its own facilities.

“Under the Paris Principles, such national human rights institutions must be independent in the execution of their mandate, structure, and operations.”

The government also promised to assist the NHRC in opening offices across the country to strengthen its independence and efforts to protect citizens’ rights.

“As a result, owning their place of business (office) is a key component of their independence. “I am pleased to report that the government has not interfered with the Commission’s independence during this administration,” the AGF stated.

The Chief Law Officer of the Federation stated that during the last dissolution of all parastatal boards, the government exempted the Commission’s Governing Council from the general dissolution of Federal Government Boards due to its independence under the Enabling Act and the Paris Principles.

Dr. Salamatu Suleiman, FICMC, Chairperson of the NHRC’s Governing Council, thanked the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as well as other distinguished guests, for attending the completion and commissioning ceremony of the National Human Rights Commission’s Lagos State office in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to the senior lawyer, the history of the project’s implementation must be told to demonstrate the Commission’s determination to strengthen its operations and independence.

She recalled that the Commission was established by the National Human Rights Commission Act of 1995, as amended, and that from 1996 to 2002, it conducted daily operations from its own independently owned buildings in the six geopolitical zonal headquarters of Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, Jos, and Maiduguri.

“Over time, however, the acquired Lagos office building became insufficient and structurally unsound to meet the challenges and demands of a modern office suitable for the operations of a national human rights institution like the Commission.

After 23 years of acquiring the Lagos office block and other zonal headquarters, the Chairperson explained that a new office structure was required to ensure inclusivity and diversity in the Commission’s working environment.

She observed that ramps, lifts, mediation rooms, and conference rooms have become essential components of any structure used to conduct business by a national human rights organisation such as ours.

She stated that the project was entirely funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria, with no contributions from donors.

“The Commission expresses gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Federation’s Budget Office, and the National Assembly for providing funds for the successful completion of this commendable project. “It is our sincere hope that the dream of building the Commission’s remaining State offices will soon become a reality,” she said.

Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, stated in his speech at the event that the Commission had identified office ownership as one of the indices of its independence under the Paris principles from the beginning, but due to a lack of financial resources, the Commission was unable to continue on the path of owning all of its offices, as it had from 1996 to 2002.

The Nigerian Chief Human Rights Officer recalled that the Lagos office, which opened today, was the first to be awarded in 2019, with the others following in 2020.

“It is hoped that by the end of this year, the Commission will have completed at least eight of the nine projects, with the ninth scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. The delivery period has lasted between four and five years. The Executive Secretary stated that this was due to the Commission’s limited financial resources.

He used the opportunity to urge the National Assembly and the Budget Office to allocate additional funds to assist the Commission in carrying out its mandate of providing adequate protection to Nigerians when their rights are violated.

He expressed gratitude to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Hon Attorney General of Lagos State, the Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, civil society organisations, human rights defenders such as Chief Femi Falana SAN, and the media for their daily assistance in resolving human rights violations.

Other dignitaries and stakeholders who also graced the occasion were, Chairman House Committee on Human Rights and Legal Matters, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde, representative of the Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, representative of the Commission of Police, Lagos State, Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, Ikrodu, Bayo Akinlade, representative of the Director General Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, representative of International Organisation for Migration (IOM),