The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting vulnerable groups across Nigeria, saying their conditions must be properly documented, analysed and addressed in line with emerging human rights realities.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, who was represented by the Director of Legal Services and Enforcement, Mrs. Rabi Anwal, stated this during the presentation of the February and March 2026 Human Rights Dashboard.
The dashboard, developed to monitor issues affecting internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, asylum seekers and returnees in nine project states, is aimed at strengthening data-driven responses to human rights concerns.
Ojukwu described the initiative as a major step in improving documentation, analysis and intervention within the protection space, noting that the data from the two reporting months pointed to a worsening protection crisis that requires sustained attention from relevant stakeholders.
He said the Commission would continue to draw attention to developments in the sector to encourage timely and effective responses, while commending the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for its technical and financial support.
He also praised human rights monitors and Community Action Group members for their commitment, describing their work as central to the credibility and success of the dashboard.
In his remarks, UNHCR representative, Owoche Igwue, commended the NHRC for the initiative, describing it as an important tool for evidence-based decision-making, accountability and coordination among stakeholders.
He said reliable data remained essential for effective protection, adding that it helps stakeholders better understand needs, design targeted interventions and ensure the rights of displaced persons are not overlooked.
Mr. Igwue also stressed the need for strict confidentiality and responsible data management, while reaffirming UNHCR’s support for efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s protection systems and promote durable solutions for displaced persons.
The National Coordinator of the project, Benedict Agu, said the initiative was implemented across nine states, covering three to four local government areas in Benue, Katsina, Cross River, Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa and Kano.
He said the project tracks not only IDPs, but also returnees, asylum seekers, refugees and their children, while recording human rights cases managed and referred across the participating states.
According to him, the major drivers of displacement in the project areas include communal clashes, farmers-herders conflicts and terrorism.
Benue State recorded the highest number of displaced persons with 4,187, while Cross River State had the lowest with 72, bringing the total number of displaced persons across the project states to 10,884.
Agu also said access to education recorded the highest number of human rights incidents at 2,851, while freedom of movement recorded the lowest with 10 cases, bringing the total number of incidents to 5,435.
On response efforts, he said 374 cases were directly managed, while 5,061 were referred to other relevant organisations for further action.
He added that the February and March dashboard also captured 527 asylum seekers, 1,159 refugees and 2,213 returnees across the project states.
