The Department of Political Affairs, Peace, and Security (PAPS) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in partnership with the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa (NNHRI-WA), is holding the 7th Regional Consultation under the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations: The Role of NHRIs” taking place from 1st to 3rd July 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Regional Consultation is aimed at enhancing the overall role of NHRIs towards the promotion and protection of human rights with added focus on protection of migrants and internally displaced people, implementation of regional and international human rights mechanisms, improving conditions of detention, human rights and reparative justice framework, and the shrinking civic space in West Africa.
Welcoming participants to the Consultation, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC) expressed appreciation to the participants for honouring the invitation and commended the continued support and partnership of the ECOWAS Commission and the relevant UN systems (UNOWAS and UN-OHCHR) towards the successful organisation of the regional consultation. He further noted the escalating violations of human rights across West Africa occasioned by undemocratic changes of governments, shrinking civic spaces, conflicts, terrorist insurgency, forced displacements of populations and climate change. To this end, he urged for solidarity among NHRIs towards advancing a unified, stable, and human rights friendly West Africa.
Delivering the Opening Remarks, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau MUSAH (Ph.D.), Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, represented by Mr Ebenezer Asiedu, Head of Democracy and Good Governance, expressed ECOWAS Commission’s appreciation to the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and particularly the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria for successfully hosting this regional consultation. He also congratulated the participants on commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS. While stressing the importance of reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent to addressing historical injustices, in line with the theme of the Consultation, he noted that the conversation should embrace current realities of our societies as it relates to the enjoyment of rights by the Rights-holders and reparations of human rights violation in the region. Accordingly, he recommended the need for a Human Right-based approach to reparatory justice for both past and present injustice and human rights violations. To this end, he noted the Commission’s ongoing efforts to develop a regional transitional justice framework with a particular focus on the principle of reparatory justice. He therefore urged the participants to enrich the framework with their inputs and guidance on how human rights principles and role of National Human Rights Institutions can be further entrenched in transitional justice generally and reparatory justice in particular.
Declaring the Regional Consultation open, Dr Salamatu H. Sulaiman, Chairperson of the Governing Board of the, National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria expressed her gratitude to participants on behalf of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She emphasized the need for multi-stakeholders’ collaboration towards a unified agenda for reparative justice to address the needs of Africans, restore dignity and foster reconciliation. She therefore urged participants to take advantage of the consultation to make insightful contributions and renew their unwavering commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in West Africa.
Goodwill Messages from Mr Benjamin Hounton, Deputy Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for West Africa Region and Ms. Barrie Lynne Freeman, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel commended the network for the annual consultation as a unique space for in-depth dialogue, peer-to-peer exchange that strengthen collaboration, ensure accountability and an opportunity to reflect on how the role of NHRI’s can be further enhanced to advance human rights across the subregion.
Participants at the Regional Conference included Hon. Prince Lateef O. Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Nigeria, Dr Joseph Whittal, President of the NNHRI-WA and Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice CHRAJ, as well as members of the Governing Council of the Nigerian NHRC and Heads of NHRI’s of Member States.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
