ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has proposed a significant budget of ₦19.55 billion for the 2025 fiscal year, seeking an ambitious expansion of its operations to improve access to human rights services across Nigeria. The proposal was presented during a recent budget defence session before the Joint Committees on Human Rights of the Senate and House of Representatives at the National Assembly Complex.
During a budget defence session at the National Assembly Complex, the Commission highlighted the need to establish more state offices in addition to the 8 state offices built in 2024, describing the move as a critical step toward addressing human rights concerns across the country.
Presenting the 2024 budget performance and the proposed 2025 budget to the Joint Committees on Human Rights of the Senate and House of Representatives, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, outlined the Commission’s strategic priorities. Among these priorities is the expansion of its presence to ensure that individuals in remote and marginalized communities can access its services.
Dr. Ojukwu revealed that the NHRC achieved a remarkable 100% implementation rate of its ₦5 billion 2024 budget, which included the construction and completion of eight state offices. He emphasized that these offices have significantly enhanced the Commission’s capacity to respond to complaints and promote human rights awareness at the grassroots level.
To sustain and build on this progress, the NHRC is proposing an ₦8 billion budget for 2025, with a key focus on establishing additional state offices to enhance effective service delivery by the Commission to every region of the country.
“The establishment of more state offices will bridge the gap between the Commission and communities that need our services the most,” Dr. Ojukwu said. “This expansion will enable us to address human rights violations more effectively and foster greater trust and collaboration with the public.”
Dr. Ojukwu further explained that the proposed budget would also address other pressing human rights challenges, including terrorism, communal conflicts, insurgency, and the rising costs of operations due to inflation. However, he appealed to lawmakers to consider increasing the budget from ₦8 billion to ₦19.55 billion to meet the growing demand for the Commission’s services.
“Over 2 million complaints are received annually, and the cost of investigating each case is approximately ₦8,000. To investigate these cases effectively, the Commission would require ₦16 billion. Expanding our resources will allow us to deliver justice to more Nigerians,” he explained.
Members of the Joint Committees commended the NHRC’s on increasing accessibility and its impressive performance despite resource constraints. They acknowledged the importance of expanding state offices to strengthen the Commission’s outreach and ensure that no community is left behind.
The proposed budget, if approved, will significantly enhance the NHRC’s ability to tackle issues such as gender-based violence, child rights violations, police brutality, and other human rights abuses. It will also reinforce the Commission’s independence and operational effectiveness as it continues to uphold its mandate of promoting and protecting human rights in Nigeria.
