The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged residents of Kano to understand their fundamental rights and seek redress through appropriate authorities whenever such rights are violated.
Speaking on Thursday during a consultation forum on the 2026 implementation plan of Nigeria’s National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the NHRC State Coordinator, Shehu Abdullahi, said the meeting was organised to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders on human rights protection.
The forum brought together representatives of the State Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), security agencies and civil society organisations.
Abdullahi said the programme provided an opportunity to review the implementation of the NHRC National Action Plan for 2024–2028 and assess progress made since its commencement.
According to him, the protection and promotion of human rights should not be left to the commission alone, stressing that all relevant stakeholders must contribute to the process.
He noted that the forum would enable participating organisations to evaluate their contributions to the action plan and identify areas requiring improvement.
Abdullahi also stressed the need to involve the business community in discussions on human rights, particularly in addressing workplace and commercial-related violations.
“When discussing business and human rights, the business community must be included because many violations occur within that sector but often go unnoticed,” he said.
He further advised members of the public to report cases of rights violations to the relevant authorities, noting that mechanisms for redress exist at the federal, state and local government levels.
“The public must recognise when their rights are violated and report such cases to the appropriate authorities for redress,” he said.
A stakeholder at the forum, Stephen Nwosu, observed that many Nigerians were unaware of their fundamental rights, making them vulnerable to abuse.
He urged citizens to become more proactive in defending and asserting their rights.
