Get Guardian on GoogleThe Attorney-General of the Federation ( AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has assured the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting its statutory independence, declaring that the commission must be free from the control or direction of any authority or individual in carrying out its mandate.
Fagbemi gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja when he received a joint delegation of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and its Indian counterpart, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions to strengthen cooperation in human rights protection.
The AGF said Section 6(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Act, 2010, expressly guarantees the commission’s independence in the exercise of its statutory functions, adding that the administration had continued to respect and protect the provision.
He said the effectiveness of human rights protection should be measured not by constitutional provisions alone but by their practical implementation through accessible institutions, accountable public authorities and an independent judiciary.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Justice remains committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s legislative frameworks, policy formulation and justice administration processes conform to its constitutional and international human rights obligations.
Fagbemi described the agreement between the Nigerian and Indian commissions as an important step towards institutional cooperation, knowledge transfer and capacity development, noting that both countries share common-law traditions and constitutional values.
He identified access to justice and the regulation of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, as important areas requiring cooperation, saying legal safeguards were necessary to protect data privacy, prevent algorithmic bias and safeguard civic space.
The minister urged both commissions to ensure that the partnership produced practical benefits, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised citizens seeking justice.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, said the agreement was designed to strengthen institutional capacity, technical exchange and human rights protection through comparative experience between the two countries.
Ojukwu said the partnership would cover conflict management, alternative dispute resolution, human rights compliance in security sector governance, media protection, digital rights, artificial intelligence, intellectual property and environmental justice.
He said the presence of the Indian delegation underscored the importance of South-South cooperation in strengthening human rights institutions and improving access to justice.
The NHRC executive secretary expressed optimism that the collaboration would generate practical legal insights and policy recommendations to support ongoing justice sector reforms in Nigeria.
