The National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria, has flagged off a training excercise for staff of business regulatory agencies on rights violations in the business environment.
The training in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, also aims to build the participants on access to remedy for business-related human rights abuses.
According to the Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, the training is imperative as business activities impact the lives of people in ways that are designed to be positive and profitable in life.
He noted that, in the pursuit to make profit, business owners can end up abusing their employees when they overlook how their quest for maximum profit affect people around them.
“They may impact human rights in ways that include exploitation of workers, unsafe working conditions, discrimination at the workplace, environmental degradation, land grabbing and unethical business practices.” Ojukwu added.
The Human Rights boss explained that businesses may exploit its workers through low or unpaid wages, poor working conditions, inhumane working hours, threats, coercion and abuse or through the use of child labour.
Ojukwu further said that, while businesses have an impact on how people live their lives, human rights and freedom of persons have to be respected and protected.
Also, the director, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Elin Wrzonk, who spoke through a webinar said Economic globalisation which has brought about foreign investments, has in one way brought economic opportunities and in another way, widely benefited from host countries and accumulated tremendous power, which has led to abuse of workers.
She said, while businesses in particular transnational corporations have widely benefited from globalisation and have accumulated tremendous power, the power has not always been matched with corresponding responsibilities.
“It is these challenges that motivated in 2011, the adoption by the United Nations of the UN guiding principles on business and human rights.
These principles reiterate the role and the obligation of the state. “
She advocated for the need to protect human rights in the context of economic activities.
The participating agencies are staff from Central Bank of Nigeria, Communication Commission and the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency.
Hauwa Abu
