FG calls for effective implementation of action plan to promote, protect human rights

The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr Tony Ojukwu, SAN, has stated that the effective implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the promotion and protection of human rights requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral, and inter-agency approach to ensure that the principles enshrined in it translate into concrete actions that impact the lives of all Nigerians.

Ojukwu was speaking in Abuja on Wednesday while addressing the Inter-Agency Consultative Workshop on the Implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the promotion and protection of human rights.

The workshop was organised to clarify the roles and responsibilities of key actors in the implementation process, foster inter-agency collaboration to ensure effective implementation, identify challenges and opportunities for advancing human rights through the NAP framework, and strengthen partnerships with critical stakeholders, including development partners.

Ojukwu stated that the obligation to promote, protect, and fulfil human rights is a fundamental imperative for the state, reinforced by regional and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party.

He remarked that the NAP is not just a document but a strategic roadmap for integrating human rights into governance, policy-making, and institutional frameworks.

“Its focus is to address gaps, promote, protect, and enforce human rights in compliance with national and global human rights standards,” he said, adding that the NAP stands out as a comprehensive policy document with transformative goals for advancing human rights in Nigeria, balancing past challenges with future aspirations.

In his speech, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, Mutashi Luckman, who represented his chairman, Abiola Peter Makinde, expressed appreciation to foreign partners supporting Nigeria’s human rights development.

“We must stand against unfairness and call for collective improvement to ensure justice and respect for all,” he said.

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, reiterated the commission’s stance against human rights violations, particularly the public display of suspects.

“Parading suspects is against the law. We must campaign against this,” he said.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Mr Clement Nwankwo, commended the efforts of the National Assembly’s Human Rights Committee in advancing human rights.

He noted that while amendments are being proposed to criminal laws, some police officers still use arms seizures as a pretext for parading suspects.

“Democracy is about human rights, but the power to remove elected leaders arbitrarily is not. When President Tinubu or any authority removes an elected leader, we must stand up to condemn it,” he said.

The Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC boss, Mr Hillary Ogbonna, in his presentation on the NAP, emphasised the need for effective legal reforms to enhance human rights in Nigeria.

He argued that national progress in global affairs requires structured coordination, stressing that “you cannot achieve the right to life when hospitals lack essential medicines,” and further underscored the need for strong partnerships, political will, and institutional coordination to drive the implementation of the action plan.

The Deputy British High Commissioner, Gill Lever, praised Nigeria’s commitment to human rights, stating that the effective implementation of the NAP would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.

She said, “We are ready to collaborate with Nigeria to implement the plan. Human rights should not be aspirational; leaders must be held accountable,” the envoy stated, adding that human rights remain the cornerstone of every progressive society.

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