16 Days of Activism: RoLAC warns on corruption in Nigeria’s education sector

The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme has said that corruption in Nigeria denies citizens their fundamental rights, including access to education and equal opportunities.

To combat this, RoLAC has expressed its commitment to supporting government agencies and civil society organisations in developing and implementing laws that improve the justice system.

The Component Manager of the programme, Dr Oluwatoyin Badejogbin, revealed this in a chat with The Guardian as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.”

READ ALSO: Expert seeks collaborative efforts to develop education sector

The Guardian reports that RoLAC is funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

This year’s campaign is particularly crucial in Nigeria, where gender-based violence remains a pervasive issue. Last week, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) disclosed it received 427,606 complaints of human rights violations in October 2024 from its offices across the country.

The “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” is an annual international campaign that launches on November 25, aiming to amplify advocacy against all forms of violence, discrimination, and human rights abuses, particularly sexual violence against women and girls. It concludes on December 10, observed as International Human Rights Day.

According to Dr. Badejogbin, the organisation has, over the years, collaborated with the NHRC to promote human rights in Nigeria, especially on International Human Rights Day, to create awareness and highlight the challenges and opportunities for deepening compliance with human rights standards in the country.

READ ALSO: Lead efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges in education, Oyebanji charges UI

He said: “The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme places respect for human rights at the heart of what it promotes. Our interventions are based on the theory of change that strengthening the system of justice secures the rule of law better and provides the essential conditions for enjoying access to justice in a democracy like Nigeria.

“Of course, you know that corruption in public and even private life, in law enforcement or the judicial system, robs Nigerians of constitutionally guaranteed rights, such as the right to basic education, equal opportunities, the protection of the law from simple to egregious violations of human rights, and even the efficient delivery of public services.*

“Thus, as a programme, we support government institutions and civil society to establish and implement legal frameworks that strengthen justice delivery. We work with public sector institutions to strengthen their capacity to implement criminal justice laws and reforms, strengthen legal safeguards against human rights abuses such as torture, improve the responsiveness of the legal system to human rights abuses, and expand access to justice for women, children, persons with disabilities, and victims of sexual and gender-based violence. We also strengthen anti-corruption systems and reforms.

“We do all this to safeguard the rights of citizens by giving public institutions the resources to address service delivery failures in the justice system. We also support civil society organizations to engage in the public space, working with public institutions to secure changes in their policies and practices.

“This year’s commemoration of International Human Rights Day upholds this tradition. It is our expectation that it will inspire deeper introspection about the type of society we want for ourselves and renew individual and corporate commitments to build a society that preserves and promotes the rights of all.”