Coalition of 24 local and inter CSOs ask FG to grant Nigerians access to

A broad coalition of 24 Nigerian and international civil society organisations, including SERAP, @AmnestyNigeria ,  @BudgITng , @accountlabng ; @CJIDAfrica , @cislacnigeria, @EiENigeria , and other groups has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently take steps to grant Nigerians direct access to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The other groups are: the Paradigm Initiative; Spaces for Change; the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism; Global Rights; HEDA Resource Centre; CLEEN Foundation; Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC); Dataphyte Foundation; DIGICIVIC Initiative; Duty Solicitors Network; Social Action; Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI); Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL); CRADESC; the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA); the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL); and Falana and Falana Chambers.

In a joint statement addressed to the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu, the organisations urged the government to make and deposit the declaration under Article 34(6) of the Protocol Establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which would allow Nigerians and eligible non-governmental organisations to directly approach the Court after exhausting domestic remedies.

The joint statement followed the letter the groups sent to Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.