The United Nations in Nigeria has issued a powerful call to action, framing human rights not as a peripheral concern but as the essential bedrock for sustainable national development. At a ceremony in Abuja commemorating the 2025 International Human Rights Day, UN officials, diplomats, and civil society leaders converged on a central thesis: substantial, strategic investment in human rights awareness is a prerequisite for meaningful growth and a more resilient society.
This perspective moves beyond viewing rights as mere legal obligations. Instead, it positions them as “everyday essentials”—a theme of the event—that must be woven into the fabric of daily life and public consciousness to unlock national potential.
The Core Argument: Investment in Awareness as Development Strategy
Mr. Mohamed Fall, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, represented by UNDP’s Ms. Elsie Attafuah, laid out the economic and social rationale. The argument is that a population aware of its rights is more likely to participate fully in the economy, hold institutions accountable, and contribute to social stability. This creates a virtuous cycle: awareness fosters empowerment, which drives demand for better services and governance, ultimately leading to more robust and inclusive development.
Dr. Anthony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), provided critical context for the Nigerian experience. He highlighted a foundational challenge stemming from “a very long period of military rule and bad governance”: widespread resignation and the normalization of rights abuses. “The first step toward protecting your rights is even knowing you have a right,” Ojukwu stated, underscoring that investment must first bridge this fundamental awareness gap before legal and institutional mechanisms can be fully effective.
The Modern Translators: Storytellers as Rights Advocates
A significant and innovative focus of the dialogue was on the agents of this awareness. The UN explicitly celebrated a new generation of advocates—the storytellers. Fall’s address directly acknowledged:
- Digital Creators: Those on Instagram, TikTok, and X explaining complex legislation like the Child Rights Act in accessible languages like Pidgin.
- Visual Artists: Graphic designers transforming stark data on issues like maternal mortality into viral infographics.
- Documentarians & Artists: Photographers capturing protests, courts dramatizing gender-based violence, and musicians scoring the fight for justice.
These individuals are reframed as “the translators of human rights,” making abstract principles tangible and relatable. Their work humanizes statistics, creating emotional connections and narrative power that traditional advocacy often lacks.
Diplomatic and Institutional Perspectives on the Long Game
Belgium’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt, endorsed this creative approach, noting Nigeria’s immense cultural influence. He pointed to the potential of art-induced conversations to subtly shift public discourse. Crucially, he framed rights realization as a “gradual process,” akin to nation-building itself. This acknowledges that securing the right to education or food is not a single event but a sustained effort requiring persistent awareness, policy change, and accountability.
The event itself served as a model, featuring a curated showcase of micro-films and music by young Nigerian storytellers. These works illustrated rights in contexts of safety, identity, digital freedom, and justice, followed by high-level conversations on how such creativity humanizes issues and safeguards creative freedom as a form of civic engagement.
The Path Forward: From Narrative to Systemic Change
The collective message moves from diagnosis to a dual-path prescription:
- Empower the Translators: Support and protect the creative ecosystem—digital activists, artists, and local storytellers—who are already effectively raising awareness in culturally resonant ways.
- Strengthen the Systems: As Ojukwu argued, awareness must be coupled with empowering institutions like the NHRC and courts to provide accessible remedies. Awareness without recourse leads to frustration.
Ultimately, the UN’s position is that investing in human rights awareness is not an expense but a high-return investment in social capital. It builds a citizenry that is informed, engaged, and capable of collaborating to solve national challenges. By harnessing Nigeria’s powerful storytelling tradition, this investment can accelerate the journey from rights awareness to rights realization, forging a stronger, more equitable nation from the ground up.
(Source: NAN News, edited by Modupe Adeloye/Isaac Aregbesola)
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