By George Ozalla
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nigeria, Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN, has been elected President of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa (NNHRI-WA). The election took place during the closing session of a three-day Regional Consultation of the Network, which marked the end of the tenure of his predecessor, Dr. Joseph Whittal of Ghana.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Ojukwu pledged to strengthen cooperation among West African countries to advance the promotion and protection of human rights. He outlined his vision for the Network, which includes building the capacity of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to effectively respond to challenges related to resources, governance, and operations. Dr. Ojukwu also announced plans to establish a sub-regional Situation Room and Data Centre to enhance monitoring, documentation, and reporting of human rights across West Africa.
The newly elected officials of the Network include Amsatou Sow Sidibe (Senegal) as Vice President, Charles Harris (Liberia) as Treasurer, Serge Prince (Benin) as General Secretary, Alkadri Diarra (Mali) as Publicity Secretary I, Patricia Ndanema (Sierra Leone) as Publicity Secretary II, and Fernanda Maria da Costa (Guinea-Bissau) as Publicity Secretary III.
The Regional Consultation brought together delegates from 12 West African countries, the ECOWAS Commission, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in West Africa (OHCHR-WARO), and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). The event focused on collective efforts towards justice and reparations, with the theme ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations: The Role of National Human Rights Institutions’.
Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, commended the delegates for their dedication to advancing reparatory justice, noting that the theme was not merely about addressing the past but also about shaping a better future for Africans and people of African descent. The delegates called for the reinstatement of NHRIs in countries currently under military rule and emphasized the importance of continued human rights engagement in the region.
