About 30 young men and women in Cross River State have been equipped with skills by Amnesty International Nigeria on how to handle issues of human rights violations in the state.
A two-day workshop was held for the trainees under the project “Strengthening Human Rights Defenders to Protect Civic Space,” funded by the German Embassy Fund.
The initiative aims to build a network of advocates who can document violations, push for accountability, and engage institutions locally.
Amnesty said abuses happen in wards and villages, so action can’t stay only in state capitals.
The participants include Amnesty volunteers and micro-influencers chosen for their reach online and offline.
They had already done virtual sessions before this physical workshop. The same pilot scheme is running in Kano and Bauchi.
Speaking yesterday in Calabar during the two day training exercise, Amnesty’s programmes manager, Barbara Magaji, stated that the training focused on identifying, documenting, and responding to violations.
Magaji cited past works against mob violence and witchcraft-related killings in Cross River, which Amnesty highlighted in a report last year.
“After the training, they’ll return to their communities to launch advocacy projects, mobilize citizens, and document violations ethically while managing physical and digital security risks.
“Amnesty expects them to strengthen human rights work across Nigeria,” she maintained.
In his remarks, facilitator of the programme, Mr. Folahan Johnson, stressed that “credible data” – eyewitness accounts, photos, corroborating reports are useful to guide policy instead of sentiment.
He urged the defenders to begin aggressive campaigns on freedom of expression, right to life, healthcare access and other socio-economic rights.
