The National Human Rights Commission NHRC has expressed concerns over the increasing number of child rights violations in Nigeria, calling for stronger measures to mitigate the challenge.
The monthly dashboard on human rights presented by the Commission in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, revealed that child rights violations topped the number of complaints received in February 2024.
According to the dashboard, “out of the 1484 complaints received by the commission, 550 complaints were on violation of Child rights while 330 complaints were on Domestic violence among others.”
In contrast, the total number of complaints reported in January 2024 was lower at 1147 and domestic violence was the most frequently reported complaint, with 528 incidents reported among others.
Speaking during the presentation, the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Mr. Tony Ojukwu said the commission is concerned about the state of human rights in Nigeria especially the impact of economic reforms on the enjoyment of human rights by Nigerians.
“The monthly dashboard on the state of human rights is borne out of the necessity by the Commission to monitor, investigate, and report on human rights systematically on a national scale in line with its mandate. The dashboard is a unique and distinctive initiative of the Commission that presents to us an infographic report on where we stand on human rights in our country monthly to enable all actors to monitor the trend of human rights and to be able to take steps to address the same,” he said.
Mr. Ojukwu stated that the monthly dashboard on the state of human rights in Nigeria presents facts, statistics, and analysis of human rights violations across broad and specific thematic areas for policymakers, security and law enforcement agencies, civil society, and the media to respond to the myriads of human rights violations in Nigeria.
“The Commission remains committed to making accessible, information on human rights and will continue to cooperate with government at all levels, civil society, media, and international development partners towards the promotion, protection, and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria,” he further said.
While presenting the February edition of the Human Rights situation dashboard to the public, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the Executive Secretary, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna provided insights into the types of complaints that have been received by the commission, citing an upsurge in child abandonment cases.
He emphasised the urgent need for government at all levels to intensify their efforts in resolving these complaints and ensuring the protection of human rights in the country.
Mr. Ogbonna said, “The purpose of the dashboard is to trigger action, and it is not meant to blame government agencies. Rather, it is meant to serve as a wake-up call for them to perform their duties diligently.”
The dashboard provides an overview of current human rights violations which the Commission has collated across the 36 States of the Federation including the FCT.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
