The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has promised to tackle emerging human rights challenges in the country.
The commission while presenting its N8 billion 2025 budget before the Joint Committees on Human Rights of the Senate and House of Representatives at the National Assembly Complex.
Speaking during the session Chaired and Co-Chaired by Senator Adegbomire Adeniyi, Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Hon Peter Makinde, Chair House of Representative Committee on Human Rights, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, provided a comprehensive breakdown of the Commission’s ₦5 billion allocation for 2024.
Ojukwu, who stated that the budget achieved an unprecedented 99.9% implementation rate, including the construction and completion of eight state offices across the country, emphasized that this achievement was remarkable given the Commission’s limited resources.
The Executive Secretary justified what the proposed N8 billion appraisal for the Commission for 2025 fiscal year, which represents an increase from the previous year, would be used on.
He said the proposed budget aims to address emerging human rights challenges such as terrorism, communal conflicts, insurgency, natural disasters like floods, and the rising cost of operations due to inflation and an increased payroll.
Ojukwu said: “The proposed budget will strengthen the Commission’s capacity to address pressing human rights issues in Nigeria.”
He revealed that “the proposal includes funding for the establishment of more human rights offices across the country to improve access to the services of the Commission, especially in states where our services are not felt,” insisting that these efforts are essential for enhancing the Commission’s independence and effectiveness.
“This proposed budget reflects our determination to create a more inclusive and just society,” Ojukwu said, adding that: “It will enable us to expand our reach, respond swiftly to human rights violations, and engage effectively with communities to promote awareness and accountability.”
He however appealed to lawmakers to consider increasing the proposed budget from ₦8 billion to ₦19.55 billion, explaining that the growing volume of complaints, which stood at over 2 million annually and the cost of investigating each case is straining the Commission’s resources.
He said: “For instance, investigating a single case costs approximately ₦8,000. To investigate 2 million cases effectively, the Commission would require ₦16 billion. The current allocation of ₦8 billion is grossly inadequate to meet this demand.”
Members of the Joint Committees commended the NHRC for its strategic focus and commitment to its mandate. While some lawmakers sought clarifications on specific aspects of the proposal, which the Executive Secretary addressed, some consequently raised their concerns.
If approved, the proposed allocation would represent a critical step towards addressing persistent human rights challenges in Nigeria, including gender-based violence, child rights violations, and police brutality, public inquiries on various investigative panels, etc.
The National Assembly is expected to conclude deliberations on the budget proposal in the coming weeks.
