The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) announced on Tuesday that it received a staggering 3.7 million complaints related to human rights violations across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2025.
Tony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, revealed this information while presenting the December Dashboard and Observatory Reports on human rights abuses.
However, it was noted that only a small portion of these complaints underwent a complete investigation.
Hiliary Ogbonna, a senior human rights advisor at the commission, stated during the event that the NHRC managed to finalize investigations on merely 52,489 out of the total 3.7 million complaints (specifically, 3,724,822).
Mr. Ogbonna pointed out that the low investigation completion rate, estimated at about 1.4 percent, was mainly due to insufficient funding.
Around a year ago, the NHRC had already expressed concerns regarding the limitations of its annual budget.
During a budget performance report presentation for 2024 at a hearing held by the Senate and House of Representatives’ joint committee on human rights at the National Assembly in Abuja, Ojukwu criticized the proposed budget for 2025, which stood at N8 billion, as inadequate.
He advocated for a notable increase in the budget allocation, emphasizing the escalating operational costs and the sheer volume of complaints received yearly.
Ojukwu commented, “The current allocation of N8 billion is grossly inadequate to meet this demand,” highlighting that the commission records an average of 2 million complaints annually.
He requested lawmakers to consider ramping up the proposed budget from N8 billion to N19.55 billion, underlining the financial requirements for investigating these human rights violations.
Notably, a review of the 2025 Appropriation Act by PREMIUM TIMES indicated that the approved budget for the NHRC remained unchanged at N8 billion, despite Ojukwu's calls for an increase.
On the same day, Ojukwu emphasized that human rights violations are often symptomatic of systemic issues. He reiterated that collaboration is essential in advocating for and safeguarding human rights.
“From the reports spanning January to December 2025, it is evident that human rights infractions are intricately tied to systemic issues such as inequality, unemployment, ineffective institutions, and restricted access to justice.
“The dashboards also highlight that early warning signs are identifiable in the data, as it serves not just as a reporting mechanism but also as a preventative tool.
“It has been further emphasized that collaboration is critical. No single entity can tackle Nigeria’s human rights issues independently. The most notable progress in 2025 stemmed from partnerships among government agencies, civil society, traditional institutions, and community groups,” he explained.
Looking ahead to 2026, Ojukwu conveyed a sentiment of cautious optimism coupled with realism regarding the human rights landscape in Nigeria.
He assured that the NHRC intends to prioritize augmenting early warning and preventative resources, utilizing dashboard data for proactive measures.
He also confirmed plans to enhance collaboration with security forces to ensure adherence to human rights in law enforcement and conflict resolution.
Expanding justice accessibility, particularly for marginalized groups like women and children, also remains a focus.
“Utilizing technology and data to improve monitoring, reporting, and response efforts.
“Moreover, strengthening partnerships with government bodies, civil society, the private sector, and developmental partners will be pursued,” Ojukwu stated.
He remarked on the importance of actionable insights derived from data, affirming that the Human Rights Dashboard should reflect societal realities, aiding in policy formulation, reforms, and accountability.
Ojukwu called on all stakeholders to leverage the gathered data to drive people-centered policy initiatives.
Additionally, Adwoa Kufuor, Senior Human Rights Adviser to the UN resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, acknowledged that while there are numerous difficulties on the horizon, including security issues, economic strains, restricted civic space, and obstacles to justice, there are also significant prospects and progress.
She noted the establishment of the National Human Rights Action Plan and ongoing reforms in the justice sector. Kufuor expressed support for the commission’s focus on leveraging data for human rights action and policy development and extended the UN's backing for various forms of support to enhance the commission’s efforts.
The reports presented by Mr. Hiliary Ogbonna revealed that the North-central region recorded the highest incidence of complaints in 2025, amounting to approximately 1.3 million cases. Additionally, he indicated that Benue State led in instances of children's rights violations.
(NAN)
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!