By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced a comprehensive mid-term review of its 2024–2027 Strategic Plan, with Executive Secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu, stressing that the Commission’s success should be measured by the positive impact it makes in the lives of Nigerians rather than the number of programmes or offices it operates.
Speaking during the strategic review meeting at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Ojukwu described the exercise as a critical opportunity to take stock of the NHRC’s performance, identify gaps and strengthen its capacity to deliver effective human rights protection across the country.
According to him, the review goes beyond a routine administrative exercise, insisting that every programme, activity and decision of the Commission must ultimately improve the lives of ordinary 1¹¹¹¹¹Nigerians.
“We are not here simply to tick boxes,” Ojukwu told participants, urging officials to engage in frank discussions, identify shortcomings and recommend practical solutions that would make the Commission more responsive, accountable and impactful.
He noted that honest self-assessment would enable the Commission to better protect the rights of citizens and respond more effectively to emerging human rights challenges.
Presenting the Mid-Term Review Report, Miss Ateda Thomas disclosed that the assessment evaluated the Commission’s performance using 160 indicators drawn from reports submitted by its 36 state offices and 10 headquarters departments.
She explained that more than 86,000 performance records were scrutinised, making the review one of the Commission’s most extensive internal performance assessments.
The report showed that the NHRC recorded its strongest achievements in human rights education and public awareness campaigns, as well as initiatives aimed at protecting vulnerable persons.
According to the findings, more Nigerians are becoming aware of their rights, while the Commission has expanded efforts to safeguard vulnerable groups across the country.
However, the review also highlighted several operational challenges, including poor documentation of some activities, inadequate supporting evidence for reports, inconsistent reporting formats across departments, limited resources and insufficient staff training.
Rather than gloss over the shortcomings, participants openly examined the issues and proposed practical reforms to improve the Commission’s effectiveness.
Among the recommendations were enhanced staff capacity-building, simplified reporting procedures, stronger data verification mechanisms, improved inter-departmental coordination and a greater emphasis on proper documentation.
Officials noted that accurate and reliable information remains essential for sound decision-making and improved service delivery.
The Planning Team further emphasized that every conclusion contained in the report was based strictly on evidence submitted by departments, adding that no findings were based on assumptions.
The review also recommended updating aspects of the Commission’s Strategic Plan to reflect emerging realities and ensure that future assessments more accurately capture the institution’s impact.
The exercise underscored the NHRC’s commitment to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement, with officials stressing that a strategic plan should serve as a practical roadmap for delivering justice, protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring citizens can access timely support whenever their rights are violated.
The Commission said its willingness to critically evaluate its own performance demonstrates a commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s human rights protection framework and ensuring that institutional success is ultimately measured by the number of lives positively transformed rather than the volume of activities undertaken.
