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EU, NHRC Collaborate to Safeguard Human Rights in Nigeria
EU, NHRC Collaborate to Safeguard Human Rights in Nigeria
Inaugurate Human Rights Defenders Forum
By: Michael Mike
The European Union (EU) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has collaborated in the fight against violation of human rights in Nigeria, joining forces to inaugurate the Human Rights Defenders Forum aimed at combating the numerous challenges of safeguarding human rights in the country.
Speaking at the Civil Society Consultation on the State of Human Rights in Nigeria and the Inauguration of the Human Rights Defenders Forum, which had in attendance Portugal Ambassador, Paulo Santos and Belgium Ambassador, Pieter Leenknegt, the Executive Secretary, NHRC, Tony Ojukwu lamented that in recent years, “we have witnessed alarming trends, including restrictions on the rights of individuals and organisations to operate freely, and threats against those who dare to speak truth to power.”
He insisted that: “These developments serve as a stark reminder that the protection of human rights is an ongoing struggle that requires continuous vigilance, action, and cooperation from all sectors of society.”
Ojukwu noted that: “Today marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to advance human rights and protect the defenders who tirelessly work to uphold these rights, even in the face of adversity.
“We are gathered here not only to discuss the current state of human rights in our country but also to chart a way forward—one that ensures greater protection for civil liberties, fosters democratic consolidation, and safeguards the fundamental rights of all Nigerians, especially those who stand up for the rights of others.”
He said: “As we know, the human rights landscape in Nigeria is a complex and evolving one. While we have made strides, challenges remain, especially regarding the protection of civic space and the safety of human rights defenders.”
Ojukwu said: “Three major events preceded today’s events which are worth mentioning. First was the End bad governance protests in August. The second is the arraignment of minors recently witnessed in Abuja. Third was the presentation of the report of the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter-Insurgency Operations in the North East.
“These three events underscore the state of human rights in Nigeria and present for us discussion points on our institutions and mechanisms. Their outcomes also present us with hope and opportunities to base our present and future actions that will ensure that human rights of vulnerable Nigerians are protected. I thank all those whose actions have been responsible for the outcomes of these historic events.”
He said: “We are deeply grateful to the European Union Delegation to Nigeria for partnering with the National Human Rights Commission in organizing this forum.
The EU’s unwavering commitment to promoting human rights and supporting civil society efforts across the globe is commendable, and we are honoured to work with them in Nigeria.
“The discussions we will have today are centered on three crucial themes that are at the heart of any democracy: the right to electoral participation and democratic consolidation, the protection of civil liberties, civic space and human rights defenders, and the pressing issue of digital rights and privacy protection. These issues are not merely theoretical—they are practical challenges that impact our daily lives and the future of Nigeria as a democratic state.”
He added that: “The inauguration of the Human Rights Defenders Forum today underscores the importance of creating a unified platform for those who work at the frontlines of human rights protection. The forum will serve as a space for defenders to share experiences, exchange ideas, and strategize on how to address the myriad challenges they face. It is crucial that we stand together to provide human rights defenders with the necessary support and ensure their safety at the frontlines.”
Also speaking at the occasion, the Deputy Head of Delegation, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Zissimos Vergos said human rights is “a topic that is not only essential but always incredibly timely and central to the European Union’s foreign policy, constituting our institutional core and soul: our unwavering support for a continuous active, open and transparent dialogue on the state of democracy and human rights around the world including our host country, Nigeria, this great country and its great people that you represent here today.”
He noted that: “We live in an era underlined by both remarkable advancements and unprecedented challenges; an era where we would have expected that global partnerships underlined by visionary and rationale conversations for a better and more inclusive world would have been the norm; instead we all see that the basic ingredients for such a successful recipe of hope and global solidarity are still missing; for us in the European Union, we firmly believe that democracy, inclusive societies and human rights are indispensable ingredients for such recipe to work; many solutions to the problems surrounding us originate from the inability to on-board the citizens of the world in a process of social, financial and political inclusion; simply to allow them to feel that they belong and that they can trust a shared societal project; we see it and feel it everywhere around us.”
He added that “global conflicts and geopolitical shifts have highlighted the importance of international cooperation and the protection of human rights.
“The collective consciousness on the urgent need to defend democracy and human rights is reflected upon the ever growing global citizens’ movements and advocacy for equality, justice, and inclusion; an urgent and pressing demand for societal change is present with youth in the forefront; it is important that we all listen and take stock.
“The world is in an urgent need for peace, healing and reconciliation. Human rights, with their universal and inalienable qualities, offer a solid framework for conversation. Narratives of authoritarianism, populism, extremism, conflict entrepreneurship, compounded by poverty, inequality and increasingly the adverse impact of climate change on livelihoods risk to derail essential conversations on urgently needed global corrections and critical decisions regarding investment in a common future.Efforts to safeguard human dignity, freedom, and equality remain crucial.”
The notion of global leadership in the mind of the citizens anywhere in the world, is strongly correlated with footprints of social, financial and political inclusion; the degree of success of such citizens’s value chain’ depends on the fundamentals of inclusive democratic governance and human rights; there are no shortcuts and where they are tried they just disrupt and generate conflict and division.”
He noted that: “Nigeria, as the largest democracy in Africa, plays a pivotal role in the continent’s political landscape. The other African countries, but also the world rightly so, are looking up to Nigeria and its multi-ethnic and multi-religious democratic trajectory and paradigms.
“The European Union, recognises the importance of partnering with Nigeria in itinerary to democratic governance and human rights.”
EU, NHRC Collaborate to Safeguard Human Rights in Nigeria
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NHRC, stakeholders meet to promote human rights in Gombe
NHRC, stakeholders meet to promote human rights in Gombe
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Gombe State Office, on Tuesday, organised a state consultative meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP) for the promotion and protection of human rights in the state.
The meeting which was held in Gombe brought together stakeholders from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), security agencies, community representatives, youth groups and other relevant stakeholders.
The engagement was to deliberate on the implementation of the NAP and to identify prevailing human rights concerns affecting citizens within Gombe State.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said that the engagement served as a platform for interaction, exchange of ideas and collective commitment towards strengthening human rights protection mechanisms in Gombe State and Nigeria at large.
Represented by the State Coordinator, NHRC, Gombe State office Dr Joseph Wanshe, Ojukwu emphasised the importance of the NAP as a strategic framework designed to improve the human rights situation in the state and Nigeria through collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations and citizens.
Wanshe, while presenting an overview of the NAP, explained that the NAP is a comprehensive policy framework aimed at ensuring the promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights in accordance with constitutional provisions and international human rights obligations ratified by Nigeria.
Mr Lemuel Akeweta while making his presentation said that the objectives of the meeting amongst others was to create awareness on the NAP for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.
Others he said was to encourage stakeholders’ participation in the implementation of the NAP; identifying prevailing human rights challenges within the state and strengthening collaboration among MDAs, CSOs and other stakeholders.
He also said that practical recommendations and way forward for effective implementation of the NAP at state and grassroots levels would be developed.
Our Correspondent reports that a total of 45 attendees cutting across 28 MDAs and 17 CSOs and a team of five NHRC staff were also present at the meeting.
NHRC, stakeholders meet to promote human rights in Gombe
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Troops Arrest Three Suspected Terrorist Collaborators in Taraba State Raid
Troops Arrest Three Suspected Terrorist Collaborators in Taraba State Raid
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have arrested three suspected terrorist collaborators during a coordinated raid on identified enclaves in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Security sources said that the operation was carried out at about 0610 hours on May 10, 2026, by troops of Sector 3 OPWS deployed at Jimilari.
The sources said the troops conducted simultaneous raids on suspected terrorist hideouts at Binari, Chibi and Andamin communities following credible intelligence on the activities of criminal networks in the area.
According to the sources, three suspects believed to be providing support to terrorist elements were arrested during the operation.
Military authorities said the suspects are currently in custody and undergoing preliminary interrogation to determine the extent of their involvement and possible links to wider criminal networks.
They added that troops will sustain clearance operations and intelligence-led raids across vulnerable communities in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area to dismantle support structures for criminal elements and restore security in the area.
Troops Arrest Three Suspected Terrorist Collaborators in Taraba State Raid
News
Execution Discipline Will Define Tegbe’s Agenda for Nigeria’s Power Sector-
Execution Discipline Will Define Tegbe’s Agenda for Nigeria’s Power Sector-
By: Adeola Labzy
When the Minister-Designate for Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, told the Nigerian Senate that there was “no quick fix” to Nigeria’s electricity crisis, the statement stood out for departing from the familiar rhetoric that has long shaped public conversations about the sector. In a country where ambitious declarations on power reform have often generated headlines faster than measurable outcomes, Tegbe’s remarks offered an early signal of a different leadership posture, one anchored less on spectacle and more on execution.
This matters because Nigeria’s power sector has spent decades trapped in cycles of overpromising and institutional under-delivery. Successive reform efforts have come with bold projections, aggressive timelines, and repeated assurances. Yet the sector continues to struggle with liquidity constraints, weak market confidence, transmission vulnerabilities, collection inefficiencies, infrastructure deficits, and operational instability. Over time, the deeper casualty has not only been electricity supply, but institutional credibility.
Against that background, Tegbe’s emphasis on transparency, execution discipline, and operational realism should be read as a useful starting point, not a completed achievement. Nigeria’s electricity market does not suffer from a shortage of reform language. The problems are already well known to policymakers, operators, investors, regulators, and consumers. What has consistently undermined progress is fragmented implementation, weak accountability, poor coordination across the value chain, and the absence of sustained commercial discipline.
In that sense, Tegbe’s early posture appears calibrated toward restoring confidence in the system’s ability to execute before pursuing grand transformation narratives. This is particularly important in a sector where investor confidence, market liquidity, and operational stability are deeply interconnected. Markets respond not merely to ambition, but to predictability, governance credibility, and measurable execution. Each part of the value chain affects the other. Generation without evacuation capacity creates waste. Tariff reform without metering creates distrust. Investment without payment discipline weakens confidence. Policy statements without visible milestones deepen cynicism.
Financial sustainability will be one of the defining pillars of any credible reform effort. For years, the electricity market has operated within a fragile commercial structure marked by accumulated debts, subsidy pressures, payment shortfalls, collection gaps, and uncertainty over cost recovery. The long-term viability of the sector depends not only on expanding infrastructure, but on restoring commercial discipline and rebuilding confidence in the market itself.
This is where transparency becomes strategically important. Transparent reforms reduce uncertainty, strengthen accountability, and give investors, operators, consumers, and policymakers a clearer basis for judging progress. In practical terms, transparency is not merely a governance principle; it is an economic stabilisation tool. It can help rebuild trust in tariff decisions, improve confidence in sector data, and create a more disciplined environment for investment and performance monitoring.
Equally important is execution discipline. Infrastructure projects rarely fail only because funding is unavailable. Many fail because coordination weakens, procurement becomes opaque, implementation drifts, and accountability is diluted. In the power sector, credibility will not be rebuilt by rhetoric alone. It will require visible, measurable, and sustained improvements in the operating system of reform.
Nigeria’s power sector does not require another cycle of exaggerated optimism followed by institutional disappointment. It requires leadership capable of confronting difficult realities honestly while building a credible pathway toward operational stability, financial sustainability, and long-term reform credibility.
That is why Tegbe’s insistence on transparent reforms and execution discipline is important. Its significance will not lie in the statement itself, but in whether it becomes a governing method. In a sector where credibility has become almost as scarce as stable electricity, restoring confidence in governance may be the first and most important reform of all.
Adeola Labzy writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
Execution Discipline Will Define Tegbe’s Agenda for Nigeria’s Power Sector-
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