Nigeria has strengthened its standing in Africa’s human rights governance following the election of the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chief Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), as Vice-President of the African National Preventive Mechanisms Network (ANPMN).
Ojukwu was elected on June 26 during the Fourth Annual Conference of the ANPMN held in Kigali, Rwanda, in a move widely regarded as a significant endorsement of Nigeria’s leadership in the prevention of torture and the protection of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty.
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, highlighting renewed continental efforts to combat torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The newly elected Steering Committee of the continental network is headed by Commissioner Philile Ntuli of the South African Human Rights Commission as President, while Ojukwu will serve as Vice-President. Other members of the committee are drawn from Morocco, Rwanda, Mozambique, Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.
In a statement issued by its Director of Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Fatimah Mohammed, the NHRC described Ojukwu’s election as a major continental recognition of his leadership in promoting torture prevention and strengthening preventive monitoring mechanisms in Nigeria.
According to the Commission, the development also reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture (OPCAT), as well as the country’s increasing contribution to regional human rights initiatives.
The African National Preventive Mechanisms Network serves as the continental platform for National Preventive Mechanisms established under OPCAT. It promotes collaboration among African countries in monitoring places of detention, preventing torture, sharing best practices, strengthening technical capacity and advancing compliance with international human rights standards. The network’s permanent secretariat is located in Rabat, Morocco.
Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission serves as the country’s designated National Preventive Mechanism under OPCAT, with responsibility for conducting independent inspections of detention facilities, identifying conditions that may facilitate torture or ill-treatment, and recommending reforms aimed at safeguarding the rights and dignity of detainees.
Observers say Ojukwu’s election positions Nigeria to play a more influential role in shaping Africa’s torture prevention agenda at a time when many countries are working to improve detention conditions, strengthen accountability and enhance compliance with international human rights obligations.
