Legal, Social and Religious Perspectives on the Status of Human Rights in Nigeria

Article 2 of the Universal Declaration states: “[e]veryone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind.” The idea that a set of rights apply equally and universally to all persons is revolutionary, as such a concept never really existed before the eighteenth century. The eventual institutionalisation of this concept of rights on a global scale is considered one of the greatest accomplishments of the twentieth century. Today, human rights have assumed the status of a global culture. Nigeria being a member of the UN has also adopted them as a national standard of behaviour. The preceding chapter dealt with her human rights architecture, highlighting the existing legal and institutional mechanisms for protecting human rights. The essence of these mechanisms is to ensure the effective realisation of the goals of human rights. Human rights standards are the same everywhere, but the actual practice of human rights varies widely across UN member states worldwide due to contextual factors. For Nigeria, such factors would necessarily include the country’s socio-cultural background, reflected in the religious beliefs of the citizens and their local customs, etc. Nigeria is a country where religion plays a significant role in both private and public domains, regardless of her secular status.