President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm 15 nominees for appointment into the governing board of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s human rights protection framework.
The request was conveyed in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary on Tuesday.
The nominations are aimed at reconstituting the board of the commission in line with statutory provisions under the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010.
Leading the list is Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been nominated as Chairman of the board, while Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) was proposed as the Executive Secretary.
President Tinubu also submitted 13 other nominees drawn from different professional backgrounds, including the legal and media sectors.
Among those listed are Ayo Adewuyi of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Maupe Ogun of Channels Television, and senior legal practitioner Chinonye Obiaku (SAN).
According to the President, the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers the President to constitute the board, subject to Senate confirmation.
Tinubu said the reconstitution of the board had become necessary to strengthen the institutional capacity of the commission and improve its ability to effectively discharge its mandate of promoting and protecting human rights across the country.
The letter noted that the appointments are expected to reinforce the commission’s oversight responsibilities, especially at a time when concerns over human rights protection and institutional accountability continue to dominate national discourse.
Following the presentation of the request, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening.
The committee was directed to conduct the necessary legislative review and report back to the Senate within two weeks.
If confirmed, the new board is expected to play a major role in repositioning the NHRC and deepening its interventions in the protection of civil liberties, justice delivery, and human rights enforcement across Nigeria.
