By Ahmed Ahmed 

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has commenced a capacity-building programme aimed at strengthening human rights protection mechanisms for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs) across seven states in Nigeria.

Speaking at the opening of the training on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu,said the workshop was designed to bridge critical gaps in the protection of displaced persons by enhancing timely, verified and actionable reporting of security incidents, displacement movements and human rights violations.

Dr. Ojukwu noted that persistent conflicts and insecurity in states including Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Taraba and Yobe had underscored the need for an efficient early warning and response system.

According to him, participants drawn from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Community Protection Action Groups (CPAGs) and Human Rights Monitors (HRMs) would be trained on secure information gathering, ethical verification, confidentiality and the use of digital tools for rapid response.

“The goal is to improve reporting systems so that information that previously took days to reach authorities can be transmitted within hours, enabling timely intervention that can save lives,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Daniel Bisu, Assistant Protection Officer of UNHCR, Maiduguri, urged participants to promptly report human rights violations within their communities, stressing that delayed reporting often worsens the suffering of victims.

He explained that the training would equip participants with practical skills in documenting and reporting violations through accessible channels, thereby strengthening community-based protection mechanisms.

In her remarks, Habiba Ghana of the Borno State Ministry of Justice described the programme as a welcome initiative, expressing confidence that the knowledge gained would help participants address and reduce human rights violations in their communities.