National Assembly Decries Poor Funding of NHRC, Pledges Better Support

The National Assembly has expressed concern over the inadequate funding of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), despite the agency’s heavy workload in addressing human rights violations across Nigeria.

Speaking at the 2024 National Legislative Forum on Human Rights organized by the NHRC in Abuja, lawmakers emphasized the need for increased budgetary allocations to the Commission.

Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, SAN, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, and Mudashiru Lukeman, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, highlighted the Commission’s financial challenges.

Lukeman, who represented Dr. Abiola Makinde, Chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, noted that the NHRC’s current budget of less than ₦5 billion is grossly insufficient to handle the over two million complaints the Commission receives annually.

“Lack of funds is the biggest challenge faced by the NHRC,” Lukeman said, pledging to advocate for better funding in the 2025 budget. “I want to say it here, boldly, that the 2025 budget will not be like the past one.”

Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Rufai Hanga, also assured attendees that the Senate would support efforts to improve funding for the NHRC.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, revealed that the Commission receives over two million complaints of rights violations every year, describing the workload as “mind-boggling.”

Ojukwu explained that the legislative forum was organized with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) program as part of activities marking International Human Rights Week.

He stressed the importance of partnerships with government, civil society organizations, international bodies, and legislative institutions to promote human rights and the rule of law.

“In discharging our mandate, we are guided by law to explore partnerships and deepen the human rights culture in this country,” Ojukwu stated.

He added that the NHRC also reviews policies, drafts bills, and ensures laws align with human rights principles.

The Commission has developed a National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights and established a complaint treatment mechanism with four dedicated departments operating across all 36 states of Nigeria.

“This legislative forum is a strategic initiative to engage lawmakers and stakeholders in integrating human rights norms into the legislative process, ultimately promoting a culture of respect for human rights nationwide,” Ojukwu concluded.