Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu Esq. has called for a stronger commitment of stakeholders in entrenching a culture of respect for human rights and dignity in schools across the Country.
Ojukwu stated this in Abuja during a workshop on the implementation of human rights education in the school system in Nigeria.
The NHRC Boss said the workshop which was organized by Commission with support from the Danish Institute for Human Rights has created another platform to highlight the benefits of human rights education in schools.
Ojukwu who was represented by the Director, Human Rights Education, and Promotion, Barr. Aver Gavar stated that the theme of the workshop was apt considering the objectives of the World Program on Human Rights Education (WPHRE) and the adoption of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) in Nigeria.
According to him, Nigeria’s adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training 2011 and WPHRE 2004 respectively speak volumes about the resolve to build a formidable and viable country that is strong to ensure quality education, knowledge and skills needed to promote lifelong learning opportunities and sustainable development.
“It is in respect of the foregoing that the Commission has since taken action on the implementation of the various Phases of WPHRE especially in schools”, the Executive Secretary added.
The workshop, Ojukwu noted, is designed to enrich the stakeholders’ knowledge on the implementation of the World Programme on Human Rights Education in the school system as well as develop strategies, build partnerships among them.
In a goodwill message from the Danish Institute for Human Rights read by the Commission’s Deputy Director, Human Rights Education, and Promotion, Hussaina Alkali, “the institute is pleased with the fruitful collaboration they have enjoyed in working with the Commission, hoping that the workshop will address the challenges that exist in the implementation of the WPHRE.”
Mr. Babatunde Aremu who represented the National Commission for Colleges of Education stated that his organization has done a lot in ensuring that human rights contents are included in their curriculum which is being reviewed after five years.
Mrs. Loretta Achor, who also represented the National Universities Commission (NUC) said that the Commission has accredited a number of human rights courses and hoped that at the end of the workshop some issues bedeviling human rights in the Universities will be addressed.
Resource persons spoke on the opportunities and challenges that exist in the implementation of WPHRE as well as made various recommendations on mainstreaming human rights in the school curriculum to meet the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
