The Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC) was established in 1995, throughout the army regime of the late Common Sani Abacha.
Though Decree No. 22 of 6 October 1995-enacted throughout the Abacha era-provided the authorized foundation for the Fee’s existence, it was not till June 1996 that the establishment’s first governing council was inaugurated.
On the time, Common Abacha aimed to align with the United Nations Common Meeting decision, which had insisted that member-states create unbiased nationwide human rights our bodies.
This got here when his regime’s human rights file was abysmal.
Abacha established the Fee to handle widespread rights abuses, meet worldwide obligations, and supply an unbiased physique to guard and promote human rights on the nationwide degree.
The adoption of the Common Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 marked a worldwide shift towards institutionalizing human rights safety.
Subsequently, the Paris Rules of 1991 laid down requirements for nationwide human rights establishments throughout the globe.
Following these developments, many nations, together with Nigeria, moved to align with UN-backed rules.
With the appointment of a retired Justice of the Supreme Courtroom, Justice P. Okay. Nwokedi, as Chairman of its first governing council, the NHRC arose in response to critical home abuses that included custodial deaths, police brutality, and restrictions on freedoms during times of political stress or army rule.
Primarily, the Fee was not solely to function a watchdog but in addition to operate as an unbiased physique that might examine rights violations and maintain authorities to account.
The core thought was for the NHRC to strengthen accountability, present redress for victims, and promote a tradition of respect for human rights inside the state, judiciary, and safety businesses.
However these lofty beliefs, many critics-including the famend human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN-dismissed the Fee as a “toothless bulldog set as much as serve the pursuits of its grasp.”
Then, the NHRC had neither its personal workplace nor a funds. It started skeletal operations in 1996 from a two-room workplace on the Nationwide Meeting premises, with some NASS employees conscripted to help.
Not till 1997 had been the primary substantive employees employed, after which the Fee rented workplace area at Plot 800, Blantyre Avenue, Wuse 2, Abuja.
The Governing Council then established six zonal workplaces throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. In 1998, the primary two opened in Lagos and Kano, adopted in 1999 by these in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Jos, and Maiduguri.
As of at present, the Fee maintains workplaces in practically all states of the federation, with its headquarters in Abuja.
The NHRC was beneath the 1995 Decree mandated to cope with all issues regarding the safety of human rights as assured by the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the African Constitution on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the United Nations Constitution on Human Rights, the Common Declaration of Human Rights, and different worldwide treaties on human rights to which Nigeria is a signatory.
It was additional tasked with monitoring and investigating all alleged circumstances of human rights violations within the nation and making acceptable suggestions to the Federal Authorities for prosecution or such different actions as it might deem expedient in every circumstance.
Different capabilities of the Fee included:
*Helping victims of human rights violations and in search of acceptable redress and cures on their behalf.
*Enterprise research on all issues pertaining to human rights and aiding the Federal Authorities in formulating acceptable insurance policies on the assure of human rights.
*Publishing common stories on the state of human rights safety in Nigeria.
*Organising native, nationwide, and worldwide seminars, workshops, and conferences on human rights points for public enlightenment.
*Liaising and cooperating with native and worldwide organisations on human rights to advance the promotion and safety of human rights.
*Collaborating in worldwide actions regarding the promotion and safety of human rights; sustaining a library, accumulating knowledge, and disseminating info and supplies on human rights.
The NHRC’s enabling Act was later amended in 2010.
The amended Act, which expanded the powers of the Fee to successfully perform its mandate, was signed into legislation by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.
Following the modification, the Fee was knowledgeable by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation of the Worldwide Coordinating Committee of Nationwide Human Rights Establishments (ICC) on August 17, 2011, that the ICC Bureau had accepted its restoration to ‘A’ standing amongst Nationwide Human Rights Establishments (NHRIs).
The restoration meant the Fee had totally complied with the Paris Rules on the institution of NHRIs.
In the meantime, about 31 years after the Fee was established, there’s a renewed name for a overview of the Institution Act to reposition the physique to carry out optimally within the twenty first Century.
Two proposed items of laws to that effect-the Nationwide Human Rights Fee Act (Repeal and Enactment) Invoice, 2025 (HB.2376) and the Human Rights Defenders Safety Invoice, 2024 (HB.1867)-are at present pending earlier than the Nationwide Meeting.
The Nationwide Human Rights Fee (Modification) Act 2010 launched key reforms to strengthen the NHRC’s independence and operational effectiveness beneath the principal Act (Cap. N46, LFN 2004).
Sponsored by Hon. Abiola Makinde and Hon. Mudashiru Alani, the invoice reached second studying within the Home of Representatives by late November 2025 and underwent public hearings in early 2026.
A principal provision of the invoice pushes for the NHRC to realize {financial} autonomy.
It proposes making the NHRC’s funding a direct cost on the Consolidated Income Fund, insulating it from govt budgetary management.
The invoice expands the Governing Council of the Fee to 25 members (from 15), with extra numerous illustration from civil society, religion {groups}, {and professional} our bodies.
It introduces clearer guidelines on the appointment and tenure of the Government Secretary, offering for a five-year single time period renewable as soon as.
Sponsored
Different proposals embody establishing a devoted fund for the Fee’s operations, complaints redress, and interventions, with provisions for voluntary contributions.
Awards, selections, and proposals of the NHRC would additionally achieve the drive of Excessive Courtroom judgments, enforceable by way of courtroom processes.
The invoice additional provides investigative powers, together with search warrants, subpoenas, and contempt proceedings for non-compliance with the Fee’s directives.
Moreover, it broadens the Fee’s mandate to observe human rights in private-sector actions and through emergencies.
Whereas Clause 5(2)(b) mandates annual human rights compliance certificates for enterprise homeowners, Clause 15 permits the NHRC to borrow funds for prosecuting circumstances.
Then again, the Human Rights Defenders Safety Invoice (HB 1867) goals to guard human rights defenders-including journalists, legal professionals, civil society actors, whistleblowers, and group leaders-who advocate for constitutional and worldwide rights.
It seeks to advertise accountability, transparency, social justice, and the rule of legislation by shielding these people from harassment or reprisals.
As of the primary week of March 2026, the 2 payments underwent legislative consideration following public hearings, the place stakeholders just like the UN and CSOs threw their weight behind them, whereas the Lawyer-Common of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, provided conditional backing.
Through the public listening to on the Home of Reps, the AGF, whereas opposing the proposed Human Rights Defenders Safety Invoice, argued that the nation already has adequate authorized safeguards to guard elementary rights.
Represented by Chief State Counsel, Reuben Imarha, the AGF insisted that enacting a recent legislation devoted to human rights defenders would create “duplication and institutional battle.”
He argued that present statutes already offered satisfactory safety, saying the introduction of a brand new authorized framework may end in overlapping mandates and legislative confusion amongst authorities businesses.
Though he acknowledged the existence of gaps within the enforcement of human rights, the AGF urged the NASS to strengthen present establishments fairly than creating new constructions.
He, due to this fact, implored the lawmakers to reject the proposed laws.
Then again, the AGF expressed conditional help for the proposal to repeal and re-enact the NHRC Act, whilst he raised considerations about a number of the clauses within the invoice.
For example, he faulted Clause 5(2)(b), which proposes that enterprise homeowners receive an annual human rights compliance certificates, warning that such a requirement may undermine ongoing efforts to enhance the convenience of doing enterprise within the nation.
Admitting that companies had, previously, been implicated in rights violations, the AGF mentioned the supply requires overview in order to not scare traders away.
The AGF additionally opposed Clause 15 of the invoice which seeks to empower the NHRC to borrow funds to prosecute human rights circumstances.
He advisable that such borrowing ought to require the approval of the Justice Ministry or the Nationwide Meeting to protect in opposition to abuse.
On Clause 16(2)(b), which proposes that multinationals and private and non-private corporations within the {financial} and oil sectors contribute 0.3 per cent of their annual income to the NHRC, the AGF described the measure as an try and introduce a quasi-tax regime.
He cautioned that the proposal ought to be harmonised with the Federal Authorities’s ongoing tax reform programme to forestall duplication.
Regardless of the AGF’s observations, representatives of the CSOs, in addition to the Government Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, backed the continuing efforts to strengthen the operations of the Fee.
Ojukwu, SAN, mentioned the proposed overview of the NHRC Act would higher place the Fee to guard the rights of residents and that there was the necessity to contemplate rising human rights points and to ascertain sustainable operational funds for the Fee.
He famous that the Human Rights Fund, established in 2010, has but to obtain funding, including that the proposed laws seeks to supply {financial} backing, partly via tax-related mechanisms, to allow the Fee to pursue human rights circumstances successfully.
Ojukwu, SAN, mentioned the invoice would additionally guarantee speedy enforcement of the Fee’s selections via the Federal Excessive Courtroom and additional consolidate its institutional independence.
In the identical vein, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Assistant Secretary-Common Mohamed Malick-Fall, who participated within the public listening to, backed the passage of each payments, saying they represented essential steps in the direction of strengthening the institutional framework for human rights safety in Nigeria.
“They’ll guarantee higher alignment with worldwide requirements, significantly the Paris Rules on the standing and functioning of nationwide human rights establishments, and advance the popularity and safeguards for human rights defenders consistent with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,” the UN consultant added.
He urged the Nationwide Meeting to undertake each payments, assuring that the UN was prepared to supply technical help, together with experience on finest practices for NHRIs and the safety of human rights defenders to help Nigeria.