A coalition of 24 Nigerian and international civil society organisations has urged the Federal Government to grant Nigerians direct access to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, saying the move would strengthen access to justice and reinforce accountability.
The groups, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Amnesty International Nigeria, BudgIT, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International Nigeria, Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, Paradigm Initiative, Spaces for Change, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Global Rights, HEDA Resource Centre, CLEEN Foundation, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), Dataphyte Foundation, DIGICIVIC Initiative, Duty Solicitors Network, Social Action, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), CRADESC, the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), and Falana and Falana Chambers, made the call in a joint statement.
The statement, addressed to the administration of President Bola Tinubu, urged the government to make and deposit the declaration under Article 34(6) of the Protocol Establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The declaration would allow Nigerians and eligible non-governmental organisations to directly approach the Court after exhausting domestic remedies.
The appeal followed a letter sent to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
Although Nigeria ratified the Protocol establishing the African Court in 2004, it has yet to make the optional declaration required to unlock direct access for individuals and NGOs. The coalition said this failure continues to deny victims of human rights violations a vital regional avenue for justice.
“Nigeria’s continued refusal to make the Article 34(6) declaration undermines access to justice and effective remedies, as well as weakens accountability, particularly for victims whose cases are stalled, ignored, or inadequately addressed within the domestic legal system,” the organisations stated.
Nigeria ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 1983 and remains an active member of the African human rights system. Justice Stella Isibhakhomen Anukam currently serves as a judge of the African Court, having been re-elected in July 2024. She has repeatedly underscored the importance of Nigeria making the Article 34(6) declaration.
The coalition also recalled that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, during its 62nd Ordinary Session in May 2018, recommended that Nigeria expedite the process to enable individuals and NGOs to directly access the Court in cases of human rights violations.
According to the groups, “making the declaration would significantly strengthen the protection of rights guaranteed under the African Charter, including freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, digital rights, access to natural resources, and people-centred safety and security. It would also enhance state accountability and improve oversight of powerful non-state actors, including technology companies.”
They noted that several African Union member states, including Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, and Niger, have already made the declaration.
“As one of Africa’s leading democracies, Nigeria must show moral and political leadership by fully subscribing to the jurisdiction of the African Court,” the statement added. “Doing so would strengthen Africa’s human rights architecture at a time when the global rules-based system is under increasing strain.”
The coalition called on President Tinubu to immediately make and deposit the declaration and to engage civil society and relevant stakeholders on the legal and administrative steps required to operationalise it domestically.
The organisations also expressed readiness to work with the government to advance access to justice and reinforce Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting human rights across the continent.
