ANALYSIS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND CHALLENGESOF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IN THEPROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS INCONTEMPORARY NIGERIA

Abstract

In 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human
rights as the global benchmark required by all countries to promote, protect
and respect human rights of all its citizens. Despite the robust legal
framework for the promotion and protection of Human Rights in Nigeria,
human rights violations and abuses are witnessed on a daily basis
particularly insecurity, kidnapping, lack of provision of adequate social
amenities, lack of enforcement of socioeconomic rights, poverty and
corruption. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), was
established to address violations of such human rights. However, it has
been constrained in performing optimally in that regard. The inability of
the NHRC in Nigeria to adequately tackle the Human rights violations and
abuses were some of the motivations for this article. The article also found
out that the inability to enshrine socioeconomic rights of citizens, provision
of social amenities, executive lawlessness, poor funding of the commission
and the nonjusticiability of social and economic rights in Nigeria were the
setbacks for the effective discharge of the commission’s mandate.
Additionally, the study recommended that Chapter II of the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) should include a
clause with the justiciability of socio-economic rights of citizens, provision
of social amenities and to create a robust legislative legal framework for
effective discharge of the Commission’s mandates. The study also
recommended proper funding, autonomy and independence from the
executive and legislative arms of government and independence of the
judiciary to enhance effective discharge of the statutory mandates of the
Commission in Nigeria