HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES


 HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES

Nigeria’s human rights are a broad, complex and evolving topic. Human rights in Nigeria have lots of challenges, and efforts have been put in place to reform some of those hurdles. Below is a discussion regarding human rights issues in Nigeria, with our focus more on the pressing issues, which are freedom of speech, police brutality, and child labor:

1. Freedom of Speech and Press

Although the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, this right is often tampered with:

  • Crackdown on Journalists and Activists: Journalists and media outlets have frequently faced harassment, arrests, or prosecution. High-profile journalists have been detained under laws because of statements published and made by them, either in criticism of the government.
  • Social Media Regulations: The government has made attempts to regulate and control social media numerous times, including threats to enact laws punishing the spread of "fake news." For example was the 2021 Twitter ban, imposed after the platform deleted a tweet by the president. The ban was widely condemned as a violation of digital rights and freedom of expression.

2. Police Brutality and Abuse of Power

Police brutality and constant harassment of citizens by the Nigerian police force remains one of the most pressing human rights concerns in Nigeria:

  • SARS and the #EndSARS Movement: The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) became notorious for extrajudicial killings, torture, unlawful arrests, harassment of the youth and extortion. Public outrage gave rise to the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, where the youth came out in masses to air their grievances and demanded for a need to be treated better and right.
  • Government Response and Reform: The government heard the uproar and announced the disbandment of SARS and formed another squad called SWAT, but many Nigerians see this as cosmetic, with former SARS officers redeployed rather than held accountable. Several states like Lagos State set up judicial panels of inquiry, but implementation of recommendations has been slow or inadequate.
  • Continued Impunity: Despite widespread evidence of abuse, prosecutions of officers remain rare, fostering a culture of impunity, unpunished. That increases their constant act on nonchalance and constant mistreatment of citizens.

 

3. Child Labor and Exploitation

Child labor is another significant human rights issue, particularly in the rural and grassroots levels

Prevalence: based on the records of the International Labor Organization (ILO), millions of Nigerian children are involved in child labor, mostly agriculture, hawking, and domestic work. Some are even forced into jobs such as quarrying and chemical production.

  • Most causes of child labour in Nigeria is Poverty, inadequate access to education, cultural practices, and weak enforcement of child protection laws contribute to the problem, up to today, the Child Right acts has nit be adopted by most states in Nigeria, despite a lot of provisions protecting the Nigeria Child Duly enacted. In some cases, children are trafficked or coerced into labor.
  • Government and NGO Efforts: Nigeria has ratified several international conventions, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Despite all efforts being put in, enforcement at the national and state levels remains inconsistent. NGOs organizing programs like Universal Basic Education (UBE) and initiatives  have made some progress, but challenges still persist

 

Summarily, Nigeria’s human rights reflect a struggle between the government making reforms and the excellent execution of those reforms. Corruption, Poverty and socio-economic inequalities have always been factors that cannot be overlooked. While the society continues to push for reforms, notable changes and accountability, change remains slow. For progress and change, that we all carve for, the Nigerian government should consider and prioritize:

  • Genuine police and judicial reforms,
  • Implementation child protection mechanisms,
  • Protection of press freedom and digital rights (that is, freedom to express oneself without fear of being harassed or arrested.
  • Also, citizens should be sensitized that although you have a fundamental right of freedom of speech does not connotes peddling fake news or infringing on the other party’s right.

 

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