The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged legislators to mainstream human rights principles and Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) into every stage of the legislative process.
Executive Secretary of the NHRC Dr Tony Ojukwu made the call yesterday in Maiduguri at a training for legislators on mainstreaming human rights and HRIA into legislation.
Ojukwu who is also the president, Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa (NNHRI-WA) said the training was to ensure that laws protect citizens’ dignity, freedoms and legitimate aspirations.
Ojukwu, represented by the state coordinator of the NHRC, Ms Jummai Mshelia, said the commission was established under the NHRC Amendment Act 2010 to promote, protect and enforce human rights in Nigeria.
He said the commission was also empowered to review proposed legislation and administrative measures to ensure their consistency with the Constitution and Nigeria’s regional and international human rights obligations.
According to him, the quality of democracy should be measured not by the number of laws enacted, but by their quality, inclusiveness and compliance with human rights standards.
He noted that legislation influenced access to justice, education, healthcare, housing, security, livelihoods and civic participation, stressing the need for rigorous scrutiny of every bill before passage.
Ojukwu said HRIA would enable lawmakers to identify potential risks and prevent violations at an early stage.
“Particularly those that could disproportionately affect women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups,” he said.
He described HRIA as a practical decision-making tool rather than a bureaucratic hurdle, saying it would enhance the quality, legitimacy and sustainability of legislation.
The Speaker of the Borno House of Assembly, Mr Abdulkarim Lawan, represented by the member representing Ngala Constituency, Alhaji Bukar Abatcha, said the legislature had a responsibility to ensure that human rights principles were reflected in laws and oversight functions.
Abatcha listed such laws to include the Child Protection Law, Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law and Administration of Criminal Justice Law among legislative interventions by the Assembly.
He added that the Borno State Disability Protection Bill, currently at committee stage, further demonstrated the Assembly’s commitment to inclusion and protection of persons with disabilities.
