By Innocent Anaba

The Federal Government has facilitated stakeholders’ consultations across the six geo-political zones to collate information for Nigeria’s National Report pertaining to the United Nations Fourth Cycle Universal Periodic Review. 

In her welcome address to delegates at the South-West engagement in Lagos, the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Agba called on stakeholders in the justice and human rights sector to participate in meaningful and productive consultations in a bid to generate accurate and up-to-date information for the 4th Cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Universal Periodic Review of Nigeria (UPR).

The Solicitor-General who was represented at the event by the Secretary, Presidential Inter-Ministerial Committee on Nigeria, Princess Frank-Chukwuani, said:

“Today’s stakeholders’ engagement is part of the work plan for collating information and useful data from various stakeholders in the South- Western geopolitical zone of the country. This is in line with the United Nations (UN) guidelines on national reporting, which stipulates that a country’s national report should be independent, objective, transparent, and inclusive.

“Therefore I enjoin all stakeholders to please engage in meaningful and productive consultations in a bid to facilitate an efficient, reliable and accurate data/information collation process for our National Report to the United Nations. 

The event was attended by relevant stakeholders from the public sector(MDAs), Non- Governmental Organisations, and Civil Society Organisations in the South-West Zone including members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA,  Nigeria, Lawyers from the States Ministries of Justice across the South-West zone and other stakeholders knowledgeable on Human Rights issues.

Stakeholders and participants alike made valuable and meaningful contributions on the subject, especially regarding implementation of government policies aimed at addressing the concerns raised in the UN recommendations to Nigeria during its 3rd Cycle review in 2018. 

  “The objectives of the UPR are to review the fulfillment of the human rights commitments and obligations of all UN member-states (as set out in the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all Human Rights Instruments to which the state is a party); and to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur, amongst others.