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Respect the right of others
Respect the rights of others, support freedom of expression

Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions & to receive & impart ideas & information without interference.

Frequently Asked Questions PDF Print E-mail

QUESTION: What does NHRC stand for?

ANSWER: National Human Rights Commission.

QUESTION: What are human rights?

ANSWER: Human rights are about equality and fairness for everyone. We all have human rights regardless of where we are from, what colour our skin is, what language we speak, what religion we practise or any other status. Some common examples of human rights include the right to life, right to equality before the law, right to freedom of expression, right to work and the right to education.

QUESTION: How do human rights relate to me?

ANSWER: Human rights are vital to our lives every day.

Human rights help our society operate the way we expect it.  For example, we all know that:

  • we should not be put in jail without a good reason; this relates to our right to be free from arbitrary detention as well as human rights principles of due process
  • we should not be fired from our job because of where we come from - this would be discrimination
  • all children should attend school - this is our right to education
  • we are free to follow whatever religion we want - this is our right to freedom of religion, and
  • we should not be locked up because we speak out against our Government - this is our right to freedom of expression.

It does not matter whether we are male or female, rich or poor, we all have human rights.

QUESTION: What can I do if my human rights are abused?

ANSWER: You can report to the NHRC. You can report in person or write to the Head office or any of the zonal offices and also send an email to the Commission.

QUESTION: Where are you located?

ANSWER: The head office of the Commission is located  at No 19 Aguiyi – Ironsi Street , Maitama, Abuja .  We also have six zonal offices located in;

  1. North Central Zonal  Head quaters, Plot 12677, Laminga, Liberty Dam Road Rikkos Village, Opp. National Civic Registration centre, Jos- Plateau State.
  2. North- East  Zonal Headquaters, No: 4, Bama Road, Opp. University Teaching Hospital , Maiduguri- Borno State.
  3. North- West Zonal  Headquaters, Plot 313, New Hospital Road, Opp. Aminu Kano Teaching  Hospital , Kano.
  4. South – East Zonal Headquaters, No: 3, Ezeagu Street, New Haven , Enugu, Enugu State.
  5. South –West Zonal Headquaters , 3rd Floor, Old National Assembly Building, Glass House , Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
  6. South- South Zonal Headquaters,  Plot H. Block 157, Port-Harcourt Township, No. 203, Bonny State, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

 

QUESTION: Who funds NHRC?

ANSWER: NHRC is financed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through appropriation in the annual budget like all other Federal Government Agencies.  It can also receive funding for particular projects from development partners and donor agencies such as UNDP, USAID, DFID, etc.

QUESTION: Do you provide legal representation for individuals?

ANSWER: The Commission has recently established a Public Interest Litigation Unit to take up deserving cases of human rights violations in the court. We also refer complaints to other relevant stakeholder such as Legal Aid Council and other private lawyers for representation in the court.

QUESTION: How much do your services cost?

ANSWER: The services of the Commission are absolutely free.

QUESTION: What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

ANSWER: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the most famous human rights instrument. It is the foundation for many countries’ human rights frameworks. The UDHR sets out the main civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights that everyone has, no matter where we come from or who we are. It is supported by over 150 countries around the world including Nigeria. The UDHR includes human rights such as the right to life, freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the right to a fair trial and the right to an adequate standard of living.

QUESTION: Which international human rights instruments does Nigeria uphold?

ANSWER: Nigeria has agreed to uphold the human rights standards set out in a number of international treaties and declarations, including:

  • the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
  • the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
  • the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
  • the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
  • the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
  • the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
  • the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and
  • the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).