Nigeria

Status: Civil society or public discussion

In Nigeria, there exists no law or policy for the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs). In the meantime, the situation of human rights defenders in the country remains dire.

President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023, following elections marred by widespread administrative irregularities and allegations of vote rigging. The election of President Tinubu sparked protests against the outcome and conduct of the general elections. President Tinubu has implemented a series of far-reaching economic reforms, but public discontent has grown over rising costs and falling purchasing power, and the prospects for his economic agenda are uncertain.

Nigeria faces serious security challenges on several fronts. In north-west and central Nigeria, an escalation of herder-farmer conflicts and an increase in the activities of violent armed gangs have fuelled wider ethno-religious violence, mass kidnappings for ransom and the emergence of Islamist extremist activity. In northeast Nigeria, communities have been terrorised by an Islamic insurgency waged by Boko Haram and one of its factions, the West African Province of the Islamic State. As a result, the region has become the epicentre of conflict between militant Islamist groups and government forces. Many of the activities of these fundamentalist armed groups are typically associated with terrorism, which has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and the displacement of millions. In the southeast of the country, conflict between security forces and armed separatists has left hundreds dead since 2020, with a spike in violence around the 2023 elections. The oil-rich Niger Delta in the south has been plagued by gang violence and episodic militancy for decades.

Deteriorating security conditions in Nigeria over the past decade have strained the country’s military and police, and perpetrators of violence often evade arrest or prosecution, including hundreds of Boko Haram perpetrators. Security forces have reportedly committed widespread abuses, exacerbating local grievances. The activities of non-state armed actors in Nigeria are a major constraint on the work of HRDs in the country, as their safety is severely compromised.

While Nigeria has made progress in some areas, the country continues to face significant human rights challenges. Due process is not guaranteed. Trials of perpetrators of human rights abuses are regularly postponed. There are numerous reports of abuses of authority, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment by law enforcement officials. Freedom of expression and independence of the media are not guaranteed by the state, although the Nigerian constitution protects the right to freedom of expression, thought and conscience. On the contrary, criminal defamation laws and frequent harassment of journalists make it difficult for the media to operate freely and independently. The LGBTQIA+ community is particularly targeted by law enforcement agencies. Since 2013, the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act has been in force in Nigeria. Gender equality is far from being achieved or protected, and gender-based violence remains widespread. The practice of shackling persons with disabilities is still widespread in the country.

There is currently no law in Nigeria that protects human rights defenders and their right to defend human rights. However, there are discussions within civil society about the need to push for public policies to protect human rights defenders. In 2023, a network of HRDs in the country, the Network of Human Rights Defenders (NHRD), was launched as a platform to strengthen action for the protection of human rights in Nigeria and Africa.

Nigeria is monitored by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. In a 2023 report on the situation of the specific situation of women HRDs working in conflict, post-conflict and crisis-affected settings, Mary Lawlor, the current Special Rapporteur underlined her deep concern and disappointment at the continued arbitrary detention of HRDs in Nigeria. In 2022, ,the UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs, together with other UN Special Rapporteurs, issued a communication to the Nigerian Government expressing concern about the threats and attacks, including death threats, against human rights defenders and activists of the #EndSARS movement. The country hosted a visit by the Special Rapporteur in May 2005. The African Commission’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders also monitors the situation of HRDs in the DRC. However, this mechanism has not published any recent opinion on the situation in the country.

The country is also subject to the Universal Periodic Review. The last review of Nigeria was completed in 2024. Some stakeholders highlighted the critical conditions faced by HRDs working in Nigeria. The Nigerian authorities only took note of one recommendation to take measures to ensure a safe and enabling environment for HRDs, in particular HRDs promoting LGBTQIA+ rights. Otherwise, the State supported all other recommendations related to the protection of HRDs.

CIVICUS rates Nigeria as “repressed”, which means that civic space is significantly constrained. Freedom House Index rates Nigeria as “partly free”. Concerns include high corruption in public and private institutions, voter inducements and intimidation in public elections, hindrance of due processes, abuse of force by law enforcement agents, restrictions in freedom of religion and belief and other fundamental rights.

[Updated on 23/09/2024]