The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has reaffirmed its commitment to promptly addressing human rights complaints, particularly those involving vulnerable groups such as women and children.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the National Coalition of Civil Society Organisations to End Child Marriage in Nigeria, the NHRC Director of Women and Children, Mrs. Ngozi Okorie, stressed the Commission’s ongoing efforts to combat child marriage and related violations. She described child marriage as a serious human rights abuse that demands collective and decisive action from all stakeholders.
Mrs. Okorie, who received the delegation on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (OFR, SAN), emphasized that the Commission remains proactive in its interventions. She highlighted the availability of the NHRC’s dedicated free short code—6472—for reporting human rights violations, including cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
According to her, child marriage severely undermines children’s rights and exposes victims to a range of complications such as Extended Adolescent Syndrome (EAS) and Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), as they are often not biologically or psychologically mature.
She further noted that the NHRC had in 2019, with support from the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, inaugurated a Special Independent Investigation Panel on SGBV, which addressed complaints across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Mrs. Okorie also disclosed that the Commission is considering the development of a sexual harassment policy to complement existing laws like the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015.
Deputy Director of Legal Services and Enforcement, Mrs. Pwadumdi Oko, encouraged the visiting coalition to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to define areas of collaboration with the NHRC.
In his remarks, delegation leader Mr. Olorunfemi Olusegun said the visit was aimed at forging a partnership to safeguard the rights and future of the Nigerian girl-child. He described child marriage as a human rights crisis that deprives girls of education, healthcare, and the chance to reach their full potential.
