| NIGERIA Federal Republic of Nigeria Federal Republic of Nigeria Joined United Nations: 7 October 1960 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 06/16/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Abuja
152,217,341
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2010 est.)
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant
mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2010 est.)
President is elected by popular vote for a four-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007
Note: On 09 February 2010 Jonathan was appointed
Acting President by the National Assembly, filling a power
vacuum left by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who has
been out of the country since 23 November 2009. Upon
Yar'Adua's death on 05 May 2010, Jonathan was formally
sworn in as President. Sambo was sworn in on 18 May.
Next scheduled election: 21 April 2011
(eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007
Note: On 09 February 2010 Jonathan was appointed
Acting President by the National Assembly, filling a power
vacuum left by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who has
been out of the country since 23 November 2009. Upon
Yar'Adua's death on 05 May 2010, Jonathan was formally
sworn in as President. Sambo was sworn in on 18 May.
Next scheduled election: 21 April 2011
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
According to the Nigeria Constitution, the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
chief of state and head of government
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous
and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv
2.5%
and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv
2.5%
| RELIGIONS |
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Federal republic with 36 states and 1 territory. Legal system is based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12
northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive: President is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007
(next to be held 21 April 2011)
Legislative: Bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats - 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja, members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats, members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007
(next to be held 21 April 2011)
Judicial: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the
federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive: President is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007
(next to be held 21 April 2011)
Legislative: Bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats - 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja, members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats, members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007
(next to be held 21 April 2011)
Judicial: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the
federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
| LANGUAGES |
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
| BRIEF HISTORY |
Recent archaeological research has shown that people were already living in south-western Nigeria (specifically Iwo-Eleru)
as early as 9000 BC and perhaps earlier at Ugwuelle-Uturu (Okigwe) in south-eastern Nigeria.[1] Microlithic and ceramic
industries were developed by savanna pastoralists from at least the 4th millennium BC and were continued by subsequent
agricultural communities. In the south, hunting and gathering gave way to subsistence farming in the first millennium BC and
the cultivation of staple foods. Primitive iron-West Africa, while Kainji Dam excavations revealed ironworking by the 2nd
century BC. The transition from Neolithic times to the Iron Age apparently was achieved without intermediate bronze
production. Some scholars speculate the smelting process was transmitted from the Mediterranean by Berbers. Others
suggest the technology moved west from the Nile Valley, although the Iron Age in the Niger River valley and the forest
region appears to predate the introduction of metallurgy in the upper savanna by more than 800 years. The earliest
indentified Nigerian culture is the Nok people who thrived between 500 BC and 200 AD on the Jos Plateau in northeastern
Nigeria. Information is lacking from the first millennium AD following the Nok ascendancy, but by the 2nd millennium AD
there was active trade from North Africa through the Sahara to the forest with the savanna people acting as intermediaries in
exchanges of various goods.Long before 1500 much of modern-Nigeria was divided into states identified with
contemporary ethnic groups. These early states included the Yoruba kingdoms, The Igbo kingdom of Nri, the Edo kingdom
of Benin, the Hausa cities, and Nupe. Additionally numerous small states to the west and south of Lake Chad were
absorbed or displaced in the course of the expansion of Kanem, which was centered to the northeast of Lake Chad. Borno,
initially the western province of Kanem, became independent in the late 14th century. Other states probably existed but the
absence of archaeological data do not permit accurate dating. In the southeast, the earliest Igbo state was Nri which
emerged in 900 AD. Despite its relatively small size geographically it is considered the cradle of Igbo culture. Yorubaland
established a community in the Edo-speaking area east of Ife before becoming a dependency of Ife at the beginning of the
14th century. By the 15th century it became an independent trading power, blocking Ife's access to the coastal ports as Oyo
had cut off the mother city from the savanna. Trade as the key to the emergence of organized communities in the savanna
portions of Nigeria. Prehistoric inhabitants adjusting to the encroaching desert were widely scattered by the third millennium
BC, when the desiccation of the Sahara began. Trans-Saharan trade routes linked the western Sudan with the
Mediterranean since the time of Carthage and with the upper Nile from a much earlier date, establishing avenues of
communication and cultural influence that remained open until the end of the 19th century. By these same routes, Islam made
its way south into West Africa after the 9th century AD. During the 16th century the Songhai Empire reached its peak,
stretching from the Senegal and Gambia rivers and incorporating part of Hausaland in the east. Concurrently the Saifawa
Dynasty of Borno conquered Kanem and extended control west to Hausa cities not under Songhai authority. Largely
because of Songhai's influence, there was a blossoming of Islamic learning and culture. Songhai collapsed in 1591 when a
Moroccan army conquered Gao and Timbuktu. Morocco was unable to control the empire and the various provinces,
including the Hausa states, became independent. The collapse undermined Songhai's hegemony over the Hausa states and
abruptly altered the course of regional history. The Onitsha Kingdom, which was originally inhabited by Igbos, was founded
in the 16th century by migrants from Benin. Later groups like the Igalas and Igbo traders from the hinterland settled in
Onitsha in the 18nth century. Following the Napoleonic wars, the British expanded trade with the Nigerian interior. In 1885
British claims to a West African sphere of influence received international recognition and in the following year the Royal
Niger Company was chartered under the leadership of Sir George Taubman Goldie. In 1900 the company's territory came
under the control of the British Government, which moved to consolidate its hold over the area of modern Nigeria. On
January 1, 1901 Nigeria became a British protectorate. In 1914, the area was formally united as the Colony and
Protectorate of Nigeria. Following World War II, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for
independence, successive constitutions legislated by the British Government moved Nigeria toward self-government on a
representative and increasingly federal basis. Nigeria was granted full independence in October 1960 under a constitution
that provided for a parliamentary government and a substantial measure of self-government for the country's three regions.
From 1959 to 1960, Jaja Wachuku was the First black Speaker of the Nigerian Parliament - also called House of
Representatives. Wachuku replaced Sir Frederick Metcalfe of Great Britain. Notably, as First Speaker of the House, Jaja
Wachuku received Nigeria's Instrument of Independence - also known as Freedom Charter, on October 1, 1960 from
Princess Alexandra of Kent - HM The Queen of United Kingdom's representative at the Nigerian Independence
ceremonies.In October 1963 Nigeria proclaimed itself a Federal Republic and former Governor General Nnamdi Azikiwe
became the country's first President. From the outset Nigeria's ethnic and religious tensions were magnified by the disparities
in economic and educational development between the south and the north. A constituent assembly was elected in 1977 to
draft a new constitution, which was published on September 21, 1978, when the ban on political activity was lifted.
President Babangida promised to return the country to civilian rule by 1990 which was later extended until January 1993. In
early 1989 a constituent assembly completed a constitution and in the spring of 1989 political activity was again permitted.
With the country sliding into chaos Defense Minister Sani Abacha assumed power and forced Shonekan's resignation on
November 17, 1993. Abacha dissolved all democratic institutions and replaced elected governors with military officers. The
emergence of democracy in Nigeria on May 1999 ended 16 years of consecutive military rule. Olusegun Obasanjo inherited
a country suffering economic stagnation and the deterioration of most democratic institutions. President Obasanjo was
reelected in 2003. Currently there is unrest in the Niger delta over the environmental destruction caused by oil drilling and
the ongoing poverty in the oil-rich region.
Source: Wikipedia Politic of Nigeria
as early as 9000 BC and perhaps earlier at Ugwuelle-Uturu (Okigwe) in south-eastern Nigeria.[1] Microlithic and ceramic
industries were developed by savanna pastoralists from at least the 4th millennium BC and were continued by subsequent
agricultural communities. In the south, hunting and gathering gave way to subsistence farming in the first millennium BC and
the cultivation of staple foods. Primitive iron-West Africa, while Kainji Dam excavations revealed ironworking by the 2nd
century BC. The transition from Neolithic times to the Iron Age apparently was achieved without intermediate bronze
production. Some scholars speculate the smelting process was transmitted from the Mediterranean by Berbers. Others
suggest the technology moved west from the Nile Valley, although the Iron Age in the Niger River valley and the forest
region appears to predate the introduction of metallurgy in the upper savanna by more than 800 years. The earliest
indentified Nigerian culture is the Nok people who thrived between 500 BC and 200 AD on the Jos Plateau in northeastern
Nigeria. Information is lacking from the first millennium AD following the Nok ascendancy, but by the 2nd millennium AD
there was active trade from North Africa through the Sahara to the forest with the savanna people acting as intermediaries in
exchanges of various goods.Long before 1500 much of modern-Nigeria was divided into states identified with
contemporary ethnic groups. These early states included the Yoruba kingdoms, The Igbo kingdom of Nri, the Edo kingdom
of Benin, the Hausa cities, and Nupe. Additionally numerous small states to the west and south of Lake Chad were
absorbed or displaced in the course of the expansion of Kanem, which was centered to the northeast of Lake Chad. Borno,
initially the western province of Kanem, became independent in the late 14th century. Other states probably existed but the
absence of archaeological data do not permit accurate dating. In the southeast, the earliest Igbo state was Nri which
emerged in 900 AD. Despite its relatively small size geographically it is considered the cradle of Igbo culture. Yorubaland
established a community in the Edo-speaking area east of Ife before becoming a dependency of Ife at the beginning of the
14th century. By the 15th century it became an independent trading power, blocking Ife's access to the coastal ports as Oyo
had cut off the mother city from the savanna. Trade as the key to the emergence of organized communities in the savanna
portions of Nigeria. Prehistoric inhabitants adjusting to the encroaching desert were widely scattered by the third millennium
BC, when the desiccation of the Sahara began. Trans-Saharan trade routes linked the western Sudan with the
Mediterranean since the time of Carthage and with the upper Nile from a much earlier date, establishing avenues of
communication and cultural influence that remained open until the end of the 19th century. By these same routes, Islam made
its way south into West Africa after the 9th century AD. During the 16th century the Songhai Empire reached its peak,
stretching from the Senegal and Gambia rivers and incorporating part of Hausaland in the east. Concurrently the Saifawa
Dynasty of Borno conquered Kanem and extended control west to Hausa cities not under Songhai authority. Largely
because of Songhai's influence, there was a blossoming of Islamic learning and culture. Songhai collapsed in 1591 when a
Moroccan army conquered Gao and Timbuktu. Morocco was unable to control the empire and the various provinces,
including the Hausa states, became independent. The collapse undermined Songhai's hegemony over the Hausa states and
abruptly altered the course of regional history. The Onitsha Kingdom, which was originally inhabited by Igbos, was founded
in the 16th century by migrants from Benin. Later groups like the Igalas and Igbo traders from the hinterland settled in
Onitsha in the 18nth century. Following the Napoleonic wars, the British expanded trade with the Nigerian interior. In 1885
British claims to a West African sphere of influence received international recognition and in the following year the Royal
Niger Company was chartered under the leadership of Sir George Taubman Goldie. In 1900 the company's territory came
under the control of the British Government, which moved to consolidate its hold over the area of modern Nigeria. On
January 1, 1901 Nigeria became a British protectorate. In 1914, the area was formally united as the Colony and
Protectorate of Nigeria. Following World War II, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for
independence, successive constitutions legislated by the British Government moved Nigeria toward self-government on a
representative and increasingly federal basis. Nigeria was granted full independence in October 1960 under a constitution
that provided for a parliamentary government and a substantial measure of self-government for the country's three regions.
From 1959 to 1960, Jaja Wachuku was the First black Speaker of the Nigerian Parliament - also called House of
Representatives. Wachuku replaced Sir Frederick Metcalfe of Great Britain. Notably, as First Speaker of the House, Jaja
Wachuku received Nigeria's Instrument of Independence - also known as Freedom Charter, on October 1, 1960 from
Princess Alexandra of Kent - HM The Queen of United Kingdom's representative at the Nigerian Independence
ceremonies.In October 1963 Nigeria proclaimed itself a Federal Republic and former Governor General Nnamdi Azikiwe
became the country's first President. From the outset Nigeria's ethnic and religious tensions were magnified by the disparities
in economic and educational development between the south and the north. A constituent assembly was elected in 1977 to
draft a new constitution, which was published on September 21, 1978, when the ban on political activity was lifted.
President Babangida promised to return the country to civilian rule by 1990 which was later extended until January 1993. In
early 1989 a constituent assembly completed a constitution and in the spring of 1989 political activity was again permitted.
With the country sliding into chaos Defense Minister Sani Abacha assumed power and forced Shonekan's resignation on
November 17, 1993. Abacha dissolved all democratic institutions and replaced elected governors with military officers. The
emergence of democracy in Nigeria on May 1999 ended 16 years of consecutive military rule. Olusegun Obasanjo inherited
a country suffering economic stagnation and the deterioration of most democratic institutions. President Obasanjo was
reelected in 2003. Currently there is unrest in the Niger delta over the environmental destruction caused by oil drilling and
the ongoing poverty in the oil-rich region.
Source: Wikipedia Politic of Nigeria
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic
management, has undertaken several reforms over the past decade. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the
economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 95% of foreign exchange
earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000,
Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on
economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate
targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. Since 2008 the government has begun
showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking
system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of
earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the
country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically
designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary
management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt-relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in
exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal
subjects Nigeria to stringent IMF reviews. Based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices, GDP rose
strongly in 2007-09. President YAR'ADUA has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor with
emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth. The government is working
toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for electricity and roads.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Nigeria)
management, has undertaken several reforms over the past decade. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the
economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 95% of foreign exchange
earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000,
Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on
economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate
targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. Since 2008 the government has begun
showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking
system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of
earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the
country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically
designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary
management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt-relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in
exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal
subjects Nigeria to stringent IMF reviews. Based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices, GDP rose
strongly in 2007-09. President YAR'ADUA has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor with
emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth. The government is working
toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for electricity and roads.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Nigeria)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
Politics of Nigeria take place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the
President of Nigeria (Umaru Musa Yar'Adua) is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system.
Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers
of the legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together the two chambers make up the law-making body
in Nigeria called the National Assembly. The highest judiciary arm of government in Nigeria is the Supreme Court of
Nigeria. Nigeria also practices Baron de Montesquieu's theory of the separation of powers. The National Assembly serves
as a watchdog to the excesses of the executive arm of government.
The president is elected by the people. He is both the chief of state and head of government and heads the Federal
Executive Council. Nigeria has a rotating presidency so that the three major regions of Nigeria (the North, the East, and the
West) share political control of the country.
There are four distinct systems of law in Nigeria. English Law which is derived from its colonial past with Britain, common
law, constitutional law (both a development of its post colonial independence), and Sharia law, used only in the
predominantly Hausa and Muslim north of the country. Like the United States, there is a Judicial branch with a Supreme
Court which is regarded as the highest court of the land.
President Yar’Adua left Nigeria on 23 November 2009, and is reported be receiving treatment for pericarditis at a clinic in
Saudi Arabia. He has not been seen in public since and his absence has created a dangerous power vacuum in Nigeria.
There has been speculation that Yar'Adua has suffered serious brain damage and can no longer recognise his wife and
personal aides, and that his true condition is being covered up by the first lady. The Government of Nigeria was left
leaderless at the crucial period following the alleged attempted bombing of a US airline by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a
23 year old Nigerian man. This left many calling for the swearing into office of the Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan.
On January 22, 2010, the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruled that the Federal Ministries of Nigeria had 14 days to decide on a
resolution about whether he "is incapable of discharging the functions of his office". The ruling also stated that the Federal
Ministries should hear testimony of five doctors, one of whom should be Yar'Adua's personal physician.
On February 9, 2010, the Senate determined that presidential power should be transmitted to the Vice President Goodluck
Jonathan. He will serve as President, with all the accompanied powers, until Yar'Adua has returned to full health. The power
transfer has been called a "coup without the word" by opposition lawyers and lawmakers. However, there are others that
felt the power vacuum would lead to instability and a possible military take over. Yar'Adua was pronounced dead on 05
May 2010 and Jonathan was formally sworn in as president. Elections are still slated for April 2011.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Nigeria
President of Nigeria (Umaru Musa Yar'Adua) is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system.
Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers
of the legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together the two chambers make up the law-making body
in Nigeria called the National Assembly. The highest judiciary arm of government in Nigeria is the Supreme Court of
Nigeria. Nigeria also practices Baron de Montesquieu's theory of the separation of powers. The National Assembly serves
as a watchdog to the excesses of the executive arm of government.
The president is elected by the people. He is both the chief of state and head of government and heads the Federal
Executive Council. Nigeria has a rotating presidency so that the three major regions of Nigeria (the North, the East, and the
West) share political control of the country.
There are four distinct systems of law in Nigeria. English Law which is derived from its colonial past with Britain, common
law, constitutional law (both a development of its post colonial independence), and Sharia law, used only in the
predominantly Hausa and Muslim north of the country. Like the United States, there is a Judicial branch with a Supreme
Court which is regarded as the highest court of the land.
President Yar’Adua left Nigeria on 23 November 2009, and is reported be receiving treatment for pericarditis at a clinic in
Saudi Arabia. He has not been seen in public since and his absence has created a dangerous power vacuum in Nigeria.
There has been speculation that Yar'Adua has suffered serious brain damage and can no longer recognise his wife and
personal aides, and that his true condition is being covered up by the first lady. The Government of Nigeria was left
leaderless at the crucial period following the alleged attempted bombing of a US airline by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a
23 year old Nigerian man. This left many calling for the swearing into office of the Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan.
On January 22, 2010, the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruled that the Federal Ministries of Nigeria had 14 days to decide on a
resolution about whether he "is incapable of discharging the functions of his office". The ruling also stated that the Federal
Ministries should hear testimony of five doctors, one of whom should be Yar'Adua's personal physician.
On February 9, 2010, the Senate determined that presidential power should be transmitted to the Vice President Goodluck
Jonathan. He will serve as President, with all the accompanied powers, until Yar'Adua has returned to full health. The power
transfer has been called a "coup without the word" by opposition lawyers and lawmakers. However, there are others that
felt the power vacuum would lead to instability and a possible military take over. Yar'Adua was pronounced dead on 05
May 2010 and Jonathan was formally sworn in as president. Elections are still slated for April 2011.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Nigeria
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved
differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to
Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; the ICJ ruled on an
equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely
defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island
at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the
Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria
boundaries.
differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to
Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; the ICJ ruled on an
equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely
defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island
at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the
Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria
boundaries.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
Refugees (country of origin): 5,778 (Liberia)
IDPs: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President Obasanjo's election in 1999;
displacement is mostly short-term) (2007)
IDPs: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President Obasanjo's election in 1999;
displacement is mostly short-term) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
A transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of
amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive
corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the
Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's
anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive
corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the
Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's
anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Nigeria
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Nigeria is a federal republic of 36 states and a capital territory, with a population of approximately 150 million. In 2007 Umaru
Musa Yar'Adua of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) was elected to a four-year term as president; the PDP won 70
percent of seats in the national legislature and 75 percent of state governorships. The election was marred by what international and
domestic observers characterized as massive fraud and serious irregularities, including vote rigging and political violence.
Numerous election tribunals, which continued to hear complaints brought by losing parties at all levels, nullified several state and
local elections during the year. In December 2008 the Supreme Court rejected the appeals of two major opposition presidential
candidates, upholding the election of President Yar'Adua. While civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the
security forces, there were numerous instances in which elements of the security forces acted outside the law.
Human rights problems during the year included:
Militant and criminal groups in the Niger Delta were responsible for numerous killings, kidnappings, and injuries, as well as the
displacement of thousands of persons; however, lead militant groups accepted the president's offer of an amnesty by the October 4
deadline, after which reports of incidents attributed to these militant groups decreased, although violence remained pervasive in the
south.
From July 26 to 29, violent clashes erupted in four northern states after supporters of Boko Haram ("western education is sin"), an
Islamic extremist group, launched a four-state assault on police stations and other government facilities. In quelling the uprising,
security forces committed serious human rights abuses, including executions, extrajudicial killings, and widespread and
indiscriminate arrests.
Click here to read more »
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Nigeria is a federal republic of 36 states and a capital territory, with a population of approximately 150 million. In 2007 Umaru
Musa Yar'Adua of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) was elected to a four-year term as president; the PDP won 70
percent of seats in the national legislature and 75 percent of state governorships. The election was marred by what international and
domestic observers characterized as massive fraud and serious irregularities, including vote rigging and political violence.
Numerous election tribunals, which continued to hear complaints brought by losing parties at all levels, nullified several state and
local elections during the year. In December 2008 the Supreme Court rejected the appeals of two major opposition presidential
candidates, upholding the election of President Yar'Adua. While civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the
security forces, there were numerous instances in which elements of the security forces acted outside the law.
Human rights problems during the year included:
- the abridgement of citizens' right to change their government;
- politically motivated and extrajudicial killings by security forces, including summary executions;
- vigilante killings;
- abductions by militant groups;
- torture, rape, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners, detainees, and criminal suspects; harsh and life-
threatening prison and detention center conditions; - arbitrary arrest and prolonged pretrial detention;
- denial of fair public trial;
- executive influence on the judiciary and judicial corruption;
- infringement of privacy rights;
- restrictions on freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, and movement;
- official corruption and impunity;
- domestic violence and discrimination against women;
- the killing of children suspected of witchcraft;
- female genital mutilation (FGM);
- child abuse and child sexual exploitation;
- societal violence;
- ethnic, regional, and religious discrimination;
- trafficking in persons for the purpose of prostitution and forced labor;
- discrimination against persons with disabilities;
- discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity;
- child labor.
Militant and criminal groups in the Niger Delta were responsible for numerous killings, kidnappings, and injuries, as well as the
displacement of thousands of persons; however, lead militant groups accepted the president's offer of an amnesty by the October 4
deadline, after which reports of incidents attributed to these militant groups decreased, although violence remained pervasive in the
south.
From July 26 to 29, violent clashes erupted in four northern states after supporters of Boko Haram ("western education is sin"), an
Islamic extremist group, launched a four-state assault on police stations and other government facilities. In quelling the uprising,
security forces committed serious human rights abuses, including executions, extrajudicial killings, and widespread and
indiscriminate arrests.
Click here to read more »
18 July 2008
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Forty-first session
30 June-18 July 2008
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Nigeria
Introduction
2. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for its sixth periodic report, which follows the Committee’s
guidelines for the preparation of periodic reports and takes into account the Committee’s previous concluding observations. The
Committee notes with appreciation the participatory process by which the report was prepared, including the holding of public
consultations and the involvement of civil society organizations.
3. The Committee also expresses its appreciation to the State party for its written replies to the list of issues and questions raised by
the pre-session working group and for the oral presentation and further clarifications offered in response to the questions posed by
the Committee.
B. Positive aspects
6. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the National Gender Policy in 2007, which constitutes a comprehensive framework
for promoting gender equality and the advancement of women. The Committee encourages the State party to take the necessary
measures to ensure its full implementation and operationalization. The Committee also welcomes the adoption of a number of
strategies, policies and programmes on areas such as education, health, reproductive health and nutrition since the consideration of
Nigeria’s combined fourth and fifth periodic report in 2004.
C. Concerns and recommendations
9. While taking cognizance of Nigeria’s federal structure, which establishes a three-tiered system of governance at the national,
state and local levels, the Committee underlines that principal responsibility for implementation of the Convention lies with the
federal government and calls upon the State party to undertake all necessary measures to ensure the full implementation of the
Convention in a consistent and coherent manner across its territory.
10. While recalling the obligation of the State party to implement all the provisions of the Convention systematically and
continuously, the Committee views the concerns and recommendations identified in the present concluding observations as
requiring the priority attention of the State party. Consequently, the Committee calls on the State party to focus on those areas in
its implementation activities and to report on action taken and results achieved in its next periodic report. It also calls on the State
party to submit the present concluding observations to all relevant ministries, to the National and State Assemblies and the judiciary
in order to ensure their effective implementation.
Click here to read more »
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Forty-first session
30 June-18 July 2008
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Nigeria
Introduction
2. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for its sixth periodic report, which follows the Committee’s
guidelines for the preparation of periodic reports and takes into account the Committee’s previous concluding observations. The
Committee notes with appreciation the participatory process by which the report was prepared, including the holding of public
consultations and the involvement of civil society organizations.
3. The Committee also expresses its appreciation to the State party for its written replies to the list of issues and questions raised by
the pre-session working group and for the oral presentation and further clarifications offered in response to the questions posed by
the Committee.
B. Positive aspects
6. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the National Gender Policy in 2007, which constitutes a comprehensive framework
for promoting gender equality and the advancement of women. The Committee encourages the State party to take the necessary
measures to ensure its full implementation and operationalization. The Committee also welcomes the adoption of a number of
strategies, policies and programmes on areas such as education, health, reproductive health and nutrition since the consideration of
Nigeria’s combined fourth and fifth periodic report in 2004.
C. Concerns and recommendations
9. While taking cognizance of Nigeria’s federal structure, which establishes a three-tiered system of governance at the national,
state and local levels, the Committee underlines that principal responsibility for implementation of the Convention lies with the
federal government and calls upon the State party to undertake all necessary measures to ensure the full implementation of the
Convention in a consistent and coherent manner across its territory.
10. While recalling the obligation of the State party to implement all the provisions of the Convention systematically and
continuously, the Committee views the concerns and recommendations identified in the present concluding observations as
requiring the priority attention of the State party. Consequently, the Committee calls on the State party to focus on those areas in
its implementation activities and to report on action taken and results achieved in its next periodic report. It also calls on the State
party to submit the present concluding observations to all relevant ministries, to the National and State Assemblies and the judiciary
in order to ensure their effective implementation.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 5
Civil Liberties Score: 4
Status: Partly Free
Trend Arrow
Nigeria received a downward trend arrow due to the ruling party’s consolidation of power and clashes between the
government and a religious sect that led to the deaths of several hundred people.
Overview
The ruling People’s Democratic Party continued to consolidate power in 2009, with alleged partisan interference ensuring its
victory in the April rerun of a 2007 gubernatorial election. In July, more than 700 people were killed in clashes between police and
members of an Islamic fundamentalist sect. Separately, a government amnesty offer in August led to an apparent reduction in rebel
violence in the Niger Delta region, though the situation remained volatile at year’s end.
A February 2009 ruling annulled the gubernatorial victory of the PDP’s Segun Oni in Ekiti State, calling for a rerun of the 2007
vote. However, political violence and misconduct attributed to PDP operatives accompanied the April 2009 runoff between Oni and
the AC’s Kayode Fayemi, and official results confirmed Oni as the winner.
In November, Yar’Adua left the country to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, and he had not returned at year’s end. Little
information on his condition was released, and critics began calling for him to resign or temporarily hand power to the vice
president.
Nigeria’s economy is dominated by oil, which accounts for 95 percent of export revenues and almost all foreign investment.
However, it is estimated that nearly $400 billion in oil revenue has been stolen or squandered since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
Wealth and political power are concentrated in the hands of a narrow elite, and much of the regular violence in the oil-rich yet
impoverished Niger Delta region stems from unequal distribution of oil revenue.
Nigeria is not an electoral democracy. According to the constitution, the president is elected by popular vote for no more than two
four-year terms. Members of the bicameral National Assembly, consisting of the 109-seat Senate and the 360-seat House of
Representatives, are elected for four-year terms. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group found that the general elections of
April 2007, “in the view of Nigerians and the many international observers alike, were the most poorly organized and massively
rigged in the country’s history.” Civil society organizations reported numerous, widespread incidents of political harassment and
violence surrounding the elections in six Niger Delta states, with the majority committed by PDP supporters or criminal gangs
acting on behalf of PDP politicians.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 5
Civil Liberties Score: 4
Status: Partly Free
Trend Arrow
Nigeria received a downward trend arrow due to the ruling party’s consolidation of power and clashes between the
government and a religious sect that led to the deaths of several hundred people.
Overview
The ruling People’s Democratic Party continued to consolidate power in 2009, with alleged partisan interference ensuring its
victory in the April rerun of a 2007 gubernatorial election. In July, more than 700 people were killed in clashes between police and
members of an Islamic fundamentalist sect. Separately, a government amnesty offer in August led to an apparent reduction in rebel
violence in the Niger Delta region, though the situation remained volatile at year’s end.
A February 2009 ruling annulled the gubernatorial victory of the PDP’s Segun Oni in Ekiti State, calling for a rerun of the 2007
vote. However, political violence and misconduct attributed to PDP operatives accompanied the April 2009 runoff between Oni and
the AC’s Kayode Fayemi, and official results confirmed Oni as the winner.
In November, Yar’Adua left the country to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, and he had not returned at year’s end. Little
information on his condition was released, and critics began calling for him to resign or temporarily hand power to the vice
president.
Nigeria’s economy is dominated by oil, which accounts for 95 percent of export revenues and almost all foreign investment.
However, it is estimated that nearly $400 billion in oil revenue has been stolen or squandered since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
Wealth and political power are concentrated in the hands of a narrow elite, and much of the regular violence in the oil-rich yet
impoverished Niger Delta region stems from unequal distribution of oil revenue.
Nigeria is not an electoral democracy. According to the constitution, the president is elected by popular vote for no more than two
four-year terms. Members of the bicameral National Assembly, consisting of the 109-seat Senate and the 360-seat House of
Representatives, are elected for four-year terms. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group found that the general elections of
April 2007, “in the view of Nigerians and the many international observers alike, were the most poorly organized and massively
rigged in the country’s history.” Civil society organizations reported numerous, widespread incidents of political harassment and
violence surrounding the elections in six Niger Delta states, with the majority committed by PDP supporters or criminal gangs
acting on behalf of PDP politicians.
Click here to read more »
Nigeria: Human rights defender assaulted by police
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
7 June 2010
Amnesty International today called on the Nigerian authorities to launch immediate investigations into the assault by Port Harcourt
police of Justine Ijeomah, a human rights defender.
Justine Ijeomah, Secretary of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), a non-governmental organisation, was assaulted by a police
officer while in police detention at Mile 1 Police Station on the afternoon of Wednesday 26 May 2010. According to Justine
Ijeomah, he had been brought out from the police cell and seated behind the police counter when he was unlawfully assaulted by a
police officer, who bashed his head against a wall four times.
Ijeomah was detained at around 15:30 after a juvenile for whom he had acted as surety failed to return to the police station at the
agreed time. He spent approximately 2 hours in the police cell before his lawyer and other human rights defenders who had been
alerted to his detention successfully intervened for his production from the cell. Justine was released without charge at around 16:
00.
Justine Ijeomah said he sustained injuries to his right eye during the assault and experienced severe headaches for several days
afterwards. Following his release, Ijeomah was admitted to hospital, were he was kept overnight. He was placed on antibiotics and
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and was discharged in the morning of the following day.
The unlawful use of force and arbitrary detention of Justine Ijeomah must be fully investigated and the perpetrators brought to
justice. Police brutality is all too common in Nigeria. This culture will never change until the authorities bring to justice police
officers who use wanton and unlawful force, operate a shoot-to-kill policy, extra-judicially execute suspects, or subject them to
enforced disappearance, extort money and unlawfully detain suspects.
Ijeomah deserves an immediate, independent, impartial and competent review of his complaint and the perpetrators, who are
known, must be brought to justice.
Background
On 23 April 2010, Justine Ijeomah and three other members of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Rivers Branch, were stopped in
their vehicle and questioned by 5 police officers. In the process of searching the car, one of the police officers apparently, and
without reason, threatened to shoot the men, and then slapped Justine Ijeomah’s face and hit him in the chest. The men were taken
to Olu Obasanjo police station where they were released by the DPO.
Click here to read more »
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
7 June 2010
Amnesty International today called on the Nigerian authorities to launch immediate investigations into the assault by Port Harcourt
police of Justine Ijeomah, a human rights defender.
Justine Ijeomah, Secretary of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), a non-governmental organisation, was assaulted by a police
officer while in police detention at Mile 1 Police Station on the afternoon of Wednesday 26 May 2010. According to Justine
Ijeomah, he had been brought out from the police cell and seated behind the police counter when he was unlawfully assaulted by a
police officer, who bashed his head against a wall four times.
Ijeomah was detained at around 15:30 after a juvenile for whom he had acted as surety failed to return to the police station at the
agreed time. He spent approximately 2 hours in the police cell before his lawyer and other human rights defenders who had been
alerted to his detention successfully intervened for his production from the cell. Justine was released without charge at around 16:
00.
Justine Ijeomah said he sustained injuries to his right eye during the assault and experienced severe headaches for several days
afterwards. Following his release, Ijeomah was admitted to hospital, were he was kept overnight. He was placed on antibiotics and
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and was discharged in the morning of the following day.
The unlawful use of force and arbitrary detention of Justine Ijeomah must be fully investigated and the perpetrators brought to
justice. Police brutality is all too common in Nigeria. This culture will never change until the authorities bring to justice police
officers who use wanton and unlawful force, operate a shoot-to-kill policy, extra-judicially execute suspects, or subject them to
enforced disappearance, extort money and unlawfully detain suspects.
Ijeomah deserves an immediate, independent, impartial and competent review of his complaint and the perpetrators, who are
known, must be brought to justice.
Background
On 23 April 2010, Justine Ijeomah and three other members of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Rivers Branch, were stopped in
their vehicle and questioned by 5 police officers. In the process of searching the car, one of the police officers apparently, and
without reason, threatened to shoot the men, and then slapped Justine Ijeomah’s face and hit him in the chest. The men were taken
to Olu Obasanjo police station where they were released by the DPO.
Click here to read more »
Nigeria: Investigate Massacre, Step Up Patrols
Hundreds Killed by Mobs in Villages in Central Nigeria
March 8, 2010
(Dakar) - Nigeria's acting president should make sure that the massacre of at least 200 Christian villagers in central Nigeria on
March 7, 2010, is thoroughly and promptly investigated and that those responsible are prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said today.
The acting president should also ensure that the military and the police act swiftly to protect civilians of all ethnicities at risk of
further attacks or reprisal killings, including by conducting regular patrols throughout the vulnerable region, Human Rights Watch
said.
The latest killings in Nigeria's restive Plateau State took place in the early morning hours of March 7, when groups of men armed
with guns, machetes, and knives attacked residents of the villages of Dogo Nahawa, Zot, and Ratsat, 10 kilometers south of Jos,
the capital of Plateau State. The dead included scores of women and children.
"This kind of terrible violence has left thousands dead in Plateau State in the past decade, but no one has been held accountable,"
said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "It's time to draw a line in the sand. The authorities
need to protect these communities, bring the perpetrators to book, and address the root causes of violence."
Witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch said the attacks were committed by Muslim men speaking Hausa and Fulani against
Christians, mostly of the Berom ethnicity. Civil society leaders in Jos said that the attacks appeared to be in retaliation for previous
attacks against Muslim communities in the area and the theft of cattle from Fulani herdsmen. On January 19, more than 150
Muslim residents were killed in an attack on the nearby town of Kuru Karama.
The witnesses said that groups of armed men attacked the largely Christian village of Dogo Nahawa at around 3 a.m. After
surrounding the town, they hunted down and attacked Christian residents, killing many as they tried to flee and burning many
others alive. The witnesses said they believed some of the attackers had previously lived in their villages before fleeing during
inter-communal tension in 2001, 2008, and earlier in 2010.
Witnesses to the killings, community leaders from Jos, and journalists who visited the villages told Human Rights Watch that they
saw bodies, including corpses of young children and babies, inside houses, strewn around the streets, and in the pathways leading
out of the villages. A Christian leader who participated today in a mass burial of 67 bodies in Dogo Nahawa said that about 375
people are dead or still missing. Journalists and community leaders who visited the town said that many homes, cars, and other
property were burned and destroyed.
Click here to read more »
Hundreds Killed by Mobs in Villages in Central Nigeria
March 8, 2010
(Dakar) - Nigeria's acting president should make sure that the massacre of at least 200 Christian villagers in central Nigeria on
March 7, 2010, is thoroughly and promptly investigated and that those responsible are prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said today.
The acting president should also ensure that the military and the police act swiftly to protect civilians of all ethnicities at risk of
further attacks or reprisal killings, including by conducting regular patrols throughout the vulnerable region, Human Rights Watch
said.
The latest killings in Nigeria's restive Plateau State took place in the early morning hours of March 7, when groups of men armed
with guns, machetes, and knives attacked residents of the villages of Dogo Nahawa, Zot, and Ratsat, 10 kilometers south of Jos,
the capital of Plateau State. The dead included scores of women and children.
"This kind of terrible violence has left thousands dead in Plateau State in the past decade, but no one has been held accountable,"
said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "It's time to draw a line in the sand. The authorities
need to protect these communities, bring the perpetrators to book, and address the root causes of violence."
Witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch said the attacks were committed by Muslim men speaking Hausa and Fulani against
Christians, mostly of the Berom ethnicity. Civil society leaders in Jos said that the attacks appeared to be in retaliation for previous
attacks against Muslim communities in the area and the theft of cattle from Fulani herdsmen. On January 19, more than 150
Muslim residents were killed in an attack on the nearby town of Kuru Karama.
The witnesses said that groups of armed men attacked the largely Christian village of Dogo Nahawa at around 3 a.m. After
surrounding the town, they hunted down and attacked Christian residents, killing many as they tried to flee and burning many
others alive. The witnesses said they believed some of the attackers had previously lived in their villages before fleeing during
inter-communal tension in 2001, 2008, and earlier in 2010.
Witnesses to the killings, community leaders from Jos, and journalists who visited the villages told Human Rights Watch that they
saw bodies, including corpses of young children and babies, inside houses, strewn around the streets, and in the pathways leading
out of the villages. A Christian leader who participated today in a mass burial of 67 bodies in Dogo Nahawa said that about 375
people are dead or still missing. Journalists and community leaders who visited the town said that many homes, cars, and other
property were burned and destroyed.
Click here to read more »
May 6, 2010
Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan sworn in as president
Mr Jonathan took the oath of office in front of government ministers and other officials in Abuja almost 12 hours after Mr Yar’
Adua died. The ceremony was performed by Chief Justice Alloysius Katsina-Alu.
Mr Jonathan put on a sash bearing the green, yellow and white colours of Nigeria, signifying he had formally taken over as
president.
Nigeria has lost the jewel on its crown and even the heavens mourn with our nation tonight,” Goodluck Jonathan
Afterwards he made a brief address, saying his administration was committed to pursuing good governance, electoral reform and
the fight against corruption “with greater vigour”.
“Having taken the oath of office, in line with the Nigerian constitution, under these very sad, unusual circumstances I urge fellow
citizens to remain steadfast and committed to the values and aspirations of our nation,” he said.
“While this is a major burden on me, and indeed the entire nation, we must – in the midst of such great adversity – continue to gain
our collective efforts towards upholding the values which our departed leader represented.”
He added: “One of the true tests will be that all votes count, and are counted, in our upcoming presidential election.”
Click here to read more »
Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan sworn in as president
Mr Jonathan took the oath of office in front of government ministers and other officials in Abuja almost 12 hours after Mr Yar’
Adua died. The ceremony was performed by Chief Justice Alloysius Katsina-Alu.
Mr Jonathan put on a sash bearing the green, yellow and white colours of Nigeria, signifying he had formally taken over as
president.
Nigeria has lost the jewel on its crown and even the heavens mourn with our nation tonight,” Goodluck Jonathan
Afterwards he made a brief address, saying his administration was committed to pursuing good governance, electoral reform and
the fight against corruption “with greater vigour”.
“Having taken the oath of office, in line with the Nigerian constitution, under these very sad, unusual circumstances I urge fellow
citizens to remain steadfast and committed to the values and aspirations of our nation,” he said.
“While this is a major burden on me, and indeed the entire nation, we must – in the midst of such great adversity – continue to gain
our collective efforts towards upholding the values which our departed leader represented.”
He added: “One of the true tests will be that all votes count, and are counted, in our upcoming presidential election.”
Click here to read more »
Jos Crisis: NHRC calls for transparent legal action
9th March, 2010
The National Human Rights Commission has called on the Federal Government to immediately bring to trial all persons connected
with the latest violence that resulted in the loss of so many lives in Jos and surrounding villages.
The Commission also urged the government to make public and implement the recommendations of the commissions of inquiry set
up to investigate previous crisis that erupted in Plateau State.
According to the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Roland Ewubare “…unless and until the perpetrators of these criminal acts
are apprehended and brought to open and transparent trial, the ugly cycle of attacks and reprisals will continue.”
The Commission also said other issues relevant to the crisis particularly the dichotomy between indigenes and settlers and the issue
of extreme poverty must also be squarely addressed in order to put an end to the senseless waste of human lives recorded in Jos in
the recent past.
Click here to read more >>
9th March, 2010
The National Human Rights Commission has called on the Federal Government to immediately bring to trial all persons connected
with the latest violence that resulted in the loss of so many lives in Jos and surrounding villages.
The Commission also urged the government to make public and implement the recommendations of the commissions of inquiry set
up to investigate previous crisis that erupted in Plateau State.
According to the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Roland Ewubare “…unless and until the perpetrators of these criminal acts
are apprehended and brought to open and transparent trial, the ugly cycle of attacks and reprisals will continue.”
The Commission also said other issues relevant to the crisis particularly the dichotomy between indigenes and settlers and the issue
of extreme poverty must also be squarely addressed in order to put an end to the senseless waste of human lives recorded in Jos in
the recent past.
Click here to read more >>
SENATE WANTS OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE FILLED
March 19, 2009
The Senate yesterday endorsed a motion seeking to ensure that the vacant office of chief complaints commissioner, otherwise
known as the national ombudsman is filled.
The position had been vacant since 1999 when the military handed over power to civilians following that year’s successful general
elections.
National Assembly, which is constitutionally vested with the appointing powers, has been sleeping on its powers since 1999 when
the last occupant of the office vacated it.
The ombudsman is saddled with the responsibility of looking into complaints by Nigerians (individual or corporate entities) against
the three tiers of government. The development was brought to the fore yesterday through a motion sponsored by Senator Joseph
Akaagerger (Benue Northeast) and fourteen others.
And, following exhaustive debate of the motion, the Senate passed a resolution urging the National Assembly to take necessary
steps to fill the vacant office.
The resolution was consequent upon the recommendations by Senators Wilson Ake (Rivers West) and Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN)
(Cross River Central) that necessary steps be taken by the Federal Legislature to fill the vacancies in the commission.
Akaagerger had said in the motion that the Commissioners who superintended the state offices of the commission had also vacated
the offices.According to him: “(Since) the year 1999 when the Chief Commissioner left office, the seat has remained vacant since
the National Assembly is yet to replace or reappoint same in line with the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) Act.’’In his
contribution to the debate on the motion, Senator Effiong Bob said the commission needed to be reviewed for effectiveness.Senator
Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) said “the National Assembly should rise up and do the duty expected of it in appointing the
commissioners.“Laws are meant to be implemented and if laws exist, they ought to be enforced. The responsibility of the
implementation of this particular law lies with the National Assembly.“So, it is our responsibility to ensure that a substantive
commissioner be appointed for the Public Complaint Commission.’’Senator Joy Emodi (Anambra North) said: “There is no way we
can be in a democratic environment without a functional public complaint commission. The commission will go a long way to
enhance democracy.” Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah (Anambra South) said that had the vacancy been filled and the commission
effectively operational, it would have provided an avenue for sitting civil servants whose houses were sold to some notable
Nigerians in Lagos to vent their displeasure.Senator James Manager (Delta Central) said: “It was an oversight on the part of the law
makers for failing to appoint an Ombudsman since 1999.“So many complaints that should have gone to the commission are not
being channeled, and this is making the people to suffer.’’Senator Dahiru Kuta (Niger East) said: “Since the creation of the public
complaint commission, there has been lack of political will to make it work.“On the part of the National Assembly, we have to do
our work to make sure that the laws are implemented. People lack knowledge on what the Commission stands for.’’
Click here to read more>>
March 19, 2009
The Senate yesterday endorsed a motion seeking to ensure that the vacant office of chief complaints commissioner, otherwise
known as the national ombudsman is filled.
The position had been vacant since 1999 when the military handed over power to civilians following that year’s successful general
elections.
National Assembly, which is constitutionally vested with the appointing powers, has been sleeping on its powers since 1999 when
the last occupant of the office vacated it.
The ombudsman is saddled with the responsibility of looking into complaints by Nigerians (individual or corporate entities) against
the three tiers of government. The development was brought to the fore yesterday through a motion sponsored by Senator Joseph
Akaagerger (Benue Northeast) and fourteen others.
And, following exhaustive debate of the motion, the Senate passed a resolution urging the National Assembly to take necessary
steps to fill the vacant office.
The resolution was consequent upon the recommendations by Senators Wilson Ake (Rivers West) and Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN)
(Cross River Central) that necessary steps be taken by the Federal Legislature to fill the vacancies in the commission.
Akaagerger had said in the motion that the Commissioners who superintended the state offices of the commission had also vacated
the offices.According to him: “(Since) the year 1999 when the Chief Commissioner left office, the seat has remained vacant since
the National Assembly is yet to replace or reappoint same in line with the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) Act.’’In his
contribution to the debate on the motion, Senator Effiong Bob said the commission needed to be reviewed for effectiveness.Senator
Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) said “the National Assembly should rise up and do the duty expected of it in appointing the
commissioners.“Laws are meant to be implemented and if laws exist, they ought to be enforced. The responsibility of the
implementation of this particular law lies with the National Assembly.“So, it is our responsibility to ensure that a substantive
commissioner be appointed for the Public Complaint Commission.’’Senator Joy Emodi (Anambra North) said: “There is no way we
can be in a democratic environment without a functional public complaint commission. The commission will go a long way to
enhance democracy.” Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah (Anambra South) said that had the vacancy been filled and the commission
effectively operational, it would have provided an avenue for sitting civil servants whose houses were sold to some notable
Nigerians in Lagos to vent their displeasure.Senator James Manager (Delta Central) said: “It was an oversight on the part of the law
makers for failing to appoint an Ombudsman since 1999.“So many complaints that should have gone to the commission are not
being channeled, and this is making the people to suffer.’’Senator Dahiru Kuta (Niger East) said: “Since the creation of the public
complaint commission, there has been lack of political will to make it work.“On the part of the National Assembly, we have to do
our work to make sure that the laws are implemented. People lack knowledge on what the Commission stands for.’’
Click here to read more>>
| Click map for larger view |
| Click flag for Country Report |
Goodluck Jonathan
President since 05 May 2010
President since 05 May 2010
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
Namadi Sambo
Vice President since 18 May 2010
Vice President since 18 May 2010
