By George Ozalla
Nigeria has secured a strategic leadership position in Africa’s anti-torture architecture following the election of the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chief Anthony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, as Vice-President of the African National Preventive Mechanisms Network (ANPMN).
Ojukwu was elected during the Fourth Annual Conference of the Network held on June 26, 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda, where delegates from across the continent gathered to deliberate on strengthening mechanisms for the prevention of torture and the protection of the rights of persons in detention.
The conference, themed “Women and Children in Detention: Gender-responsive and Child-sensitive National Preventive Mechanism Approaches,” coincided with the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, reinforcing Africa’s commitment to ending torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
With the election, Nigeria now occupies one of the highest leadership positions in the continental body established under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
The newly elected Steering Committee is headed by Commissioner Philile Ntuli of the South African Human Rights Commission as President, while Ojukwu will serve as Vice-President. Other members are representatives of Morocco, Rwanda, Mozambique, Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.
The NHRC, which serves as Nigeria’s National Preventive Mechanism under OPCAT, said Ojukwu’s election is a significant recognition of his leadership in torture prevention and of the Commission’s growing role in promoting preventive monitoring and protecting the rights of persons deprived of their liberty.
The Commission said the development also reflects the confidence reposed in Nigeria’s National Preventive Mechanism and its contributions to regional human rights initiatives.
ANPMN is the continental platform for National Preventive Mechanisms established under OPCAT. It provides a framework for strengthening preventive monitoring of places of deprivation of liberty, promoting the exchange of best practices, enhancing technical cooperation among African National Preventive Mechanisms and advancing torture prevention across the continent. The Network’s Permanent Secretariat is hosted in Rabat, Morocco.
The Commission disclosed the development in a statement issued by its Director of Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, noting that Ojukwu’s election is expected to further deepen Nigeria’s role in advancing human rights protection and torture prevention across Africa.
