Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights through constitutional guarantees and by embedding these rights into security operations.
He stated this on Thursday in Abuja while declaring open the 2026 High-Level International Humanitarian Law Dialogue, themed “Complementarity: Threshold and Outcomes.”
The Vice President said Nigeria is fully committed to international cooperation and the universal application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in every theatre of conflict.
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He noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has adopted a comprehensive response to tackle insecurity and address conflicts, combining both kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
“I wish to emphasise Nigeria’s unwavering determination to promote and protect human rights, while ensuring the effective implementation of International Humanitarian Law treaties. His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, recognises that insecurity remains the greatest threat to peace and development,” he said.
“Accordingly, our government accords the highest priority to a comprehensive response that combines both kinetic and non-kinetic measures in addressing conflict,” he declared, pointing out that the administration has continued to evolve the nation’s legal frameworks in response to emerging realities.
As part of this evolution, VP Shettima recalled that President Tinubu recently appended his assent to the domestication of the African Union Kampala Convention, establishing “a robust and context-specific legal framework for the protection and assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria.”
The Vice President observed that the dialogue comes at a defining moment when Nigeria’s “shared humanity is under immense strain, and when the very laws meant to uphold order are too often treated as expendable inconveniences.”
He noted that these challenges have not spared Nigeria, as the nation continues to “confront persistent insurgency, terrorism, and other forms of violent conflict.”
“Beyond the immediate toll of these hostilities, we are also managing the deeper, long-term strain they impose on our communities and institutions. It is precisely because of these experiences that Nigeria stands resolute in championing this global movement,” he added.
VP Shettima further stated that while the dialogue was “convened as part of deliberate efforts to reinforce the enduring principles that govern the conduct of armed conflict, particularly the imperative of limiting harm in contemporary warfare,” it is also a moment to reflect and return to the moral centre of International Humanitarian Law.
According to him, the IHL exists to provide critical safeguards for human life when it is most vulnerable.
The Vice President outlined an approach anchored in three non-negotiable pillars: “the protection of civilian populations, the humane treatment of all persons affected by conflict, and the preservation of human dignity even in the most difficult circumstances.”
VP Shettima noted that Nigeria has adopted a proactive approach to implementing IHL “through sustained military training, strengthened child protection protocols, the integration of IHL into academic curricula, accountability mechanisms for sexual violence, improved arms control systems, and comprehensive displacement frameworks.”
“These efforts reflect a simple but powerful truth: humanitarian law must be lived, not merely legislated. At the heart of this national agenda lies our recognition that meaningful progress depends on strong partnerships across government, civil society, and international stakeholders, ensuring that IHL is translated from principle into practice,” the Vice President explained.
He commended the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, and other Nigerian development partners for their “continued collaboration and technical support in advancing the implementation of International Humanitarian Law.”
Earlier, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, underscored the government’s efforts to domesticate humanitarian law treaties and transform the nation’s justice system.
He explained that new laws and investments in correctional facilities are aimed at ensuring humane treatment, rehabilitation, and adherence to global human rights standards.
Fagbemi added that Nigeria is strengthening the capacity of its military and law enforcement agencies by embedding IHL principles into training and operations.
He noted that the country is also translating these laws into local languages to ensure accessibility in conflict-affected areas.
In her welcome address, the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, said the dialogue provides the judiciary with an opportunity to maintain its commitment to promoting the rule of law within the nation’s security architecture.
She emphasised that Nigeria will continue to uphold the Geneva Conventions on warfare.
“We are today reminded that our work is a vital checkpoint in embedding the rule of law within our national security architecture. The importance of International Humanitarian Law has never been more critical, as we witness heightened disregard for civilian protection in contemporary global warfare.
“Nigeria recognises that as conflict dynamics evolve, particularly in asymmetric environments, our political will must be the engine that drives compliance from the negotiating tables in Geneva to our own frontlines,” she said.
The event drew participation from key international bodies, including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, among others.