Claiming Human Rights - in Nigeria

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a member of the United Nations and the African Union. It has ratified many UN Human Rights Conventions (compare list on the right) and thus has made binding international commitments to adhere to the standards laid down in these universal human rights documents.

Nigeria is an English-, Hausa-, Igbo- and Yoruba-speaking country in West Africa. With an area of 923,768 square km it borders the Atlantic Ocean on its south. On a global scale, its population density is medium. The capital of the country, which became independent on 1 October 1960 from the United Kingdom, is Abuja. Nigeria is a member of the regional economic communities ECOWAS and CEN-SAD.

With a Human Development Index of 0.51 Nigeria ranks 158^th of 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 151.3 million inhabitants at birth is 47 years, population growth is 2.2 percent per year. GNI is 1,160 US-$ per capita. External debt is 6.0 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 63.8 percent.

In as far as Nigeria has ratified the Optional Protocols for UN Human Rights Conventions or has accepted the Competence of the corresponding UN Treaty Bodies (compare list on the right), the inhabitants of Nigeria and their representatives are able to invoke their human rights through these bodies.

All inhabitants of Nigeria may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations.

Since Nigeria is a member state of UNESCO, its citizens may use the UNESCO procedure for human rights violations in UNESCO's fields of mandate.

Employers' or workers' and certain other organizations (not individuals) of Nigeria may file complaints through the ILO procedure in the cases of those conventions which Nigeria has ratified.

Since Nigeria is an AU member, its citizens and NGOs may file complaints to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

They may also file complaints according to the EU guidelines (on Human Rights Defenders, Death Penalty and Torture) to Embassies of EU Member States and the Delegations of the European Commission.

In cases of human rights violations by multinational enterprises, they may also invoke the National Contact Point in an OECD member state.

Nigeria has joined the International Criminal Court, it may thus be called upon in case of severe crimes.