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Protection of Migrant Rights: UN, NHRC Call for Holistic Approach

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Protection of Migrant Rights: UN, NHRC Call for Holistic Approach

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR)
have called for an holistic approach to protect the rights of migrants.

The call was made on Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the two-day training on human rights and migration, organised by the United Nations in Nigeria for staff of the NHRC.

The training titled: “PROMIS-Protection of Migrants” is aimed at strengthening capacities of West African states, develop human rights-based responses to smuggling of migrants and combat rights violations.

The Executive-Secretary of NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu, in his remarks, described the PROMIS – Protection of Migrants project as relevant in efforts to tackle issues related to violation of the rights of migrants.

He said the training would provide NHRC personnel with understanding of international human rights frameworks, treaties and regional instruments relevant to human rights at international borders and specific human rights challenges faced by individuals at international borders.

He added that the need to adopt a human rights-based approach to migration management has been underscored by the multiple thematic and sectoral interests that converge in migration management.

Ojukwu said: “In our world today, migrants face dehumanizing conditions, illegal arrests and prolonged detention, torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, life threatening conditions on land and sea.

“As we focus on irregular migration and smuggling across our borders, it is important we do not lose sight of trafficking within Nigeria becoming an epidemic.

“As human rights advocates and frontline defenders, staff of the National Human Rights Commission stand on a strong legal and institutional footing to tackle this present and emerging styles of human rights violations.

“I want to pledge that this training programme we are receiving today under the auspices of PROMIS and the OHCHR shall be extended to all our state offices in due course as migration is all encompassing.

“We will continue to work with our partners within and outside the government to strengthen policies, and practices that impact on human rights of migrants, victims of trafficking and smuggling of migrants.”

Ojukwu however decried social, economic and political vulnerabilities such as poverty, inequalities, conflicts, and human insecurity as the major triggers to irregular migration, trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

He said the NHRC Amendment Act of 2010 vested the Commission with wide ranging powers to monitor human rights, conduct investigations on violations, embark upon public interest litigations, conduct research and produce Guidelines and Advisories.

He noted that migration extends to rights to dignity, adequate standard of living, quality health and education amongst others.

Also speaking at the event, Senior Human Rights Adviser, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Adwoa Kufuor-Owusu, lamented that migration related issues have affected countless lives of individuals and communities.

She said although migration could transform societies, economies and individual lives, its challenges could lead to violations of human rights of migrants if not properly managed and safeguarded.

She noted that to manage and safeguard vulnerabilities that might arise in the context of migration, various legal and institutional frameworks were established both at international, regional and national levels.

Kufuor-Owusu said: “We gather not only to deepen understanding of these issues, but to reaffirm our commitment to core human rights principles of dignity, equality and non-discrimination for everyone everywhere, regardless of migratory status.

“It is my privilege to welcome you to this training, to engage in meaningful discussion about topics of utmost significance in today’s globalized world.

“It is my sincere hope that over the two-day training you will seize the opportunity to strengthen your capacity to apply various international and national human rights frameworks to migrants, especially at international borders.

“I equally hope the discussions in this training will allow for reflections on synergies between the NHRC and other stakeholders, for effective promotion and protection of migrants in Nigeria,” Kufuor-Owusu said.

She urged the participants to uphold the training as a platform for open dialogue and mutual learning, where they could draw upon collective wisdom and experiences of diverse groups.

She reiterated the UN’s commitment to collaborate with the NHRC to support Nigeria and enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of migrants, especially migrants in vulnerable situations.

The training was put together under the auspices of the joint initiative by the UN Human Rights Office and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In attendance were 25-NHRC staff across field offices.

Protection of Migrant Rights: UN, NHRC Call for Holistic Approach

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.

The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.

In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.

“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.

“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.

The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.

Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.

Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

By: Michael Mike

The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.

A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.

“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”

According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.

The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.

Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People


…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp

By: Michael Mike

Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.

Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.

“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.

“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”

Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.

“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”

She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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