The Nigerian Bar Association Human Rights Institute (NBA-HRI) has used this year’s Independence Day celebration to issue a sobering “audit of freedom,” declaring that Nigeria is weighed down by “a decade of debt” owed to its citizens in the form of unfulfilled rights and compromised justice.
Delivering the address on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the Chairman of the NBA-HRI and 1st Vice President of the NBA, Sabastine Anyia, Esq., emphasized that independence goes beyond the symbolism of self-rule, noting that “it is the perpetual defense of the citizen’s inherent dignity.” He highlighted the vision of the NBA under its President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, to build a society where human rights are promoted, protected, and the independence of the legal profession is guaranteed.
In its statement titled “A Day of Independence, A Decade of Debt: The NBA-HRI Audit of Freedom,” the Institute identified four major areas where Nigeria is failing to deliver on its constitutional promises:
- Debt of Dignity: Persistent socio-economic inequalities, lack of access to healthcare, education, and food, which the NBA-HRI described as violations of human dignity. The Institute urged the government to make the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy enforceable rights.
- Debt of Due Process: A justice system plagued by arbitrary detention, impunity, and lack of accountability for extra-judicial killings. The Institute called for strict enforcement of the Anti-Torture Act (2017) and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
- Debt of Truth: Shrinking civic space, threats to free expression, and suppression of peaceful protest. The NBA-HRI insisted that democracy requires the protection of dissent and the right to protest.
- Debt of Transparency: The cancer of corruption, which the Institute described as a human rights violation that diverts resources away from essential public services. It called for stronger anti-corruption measures, transparent governance, and asset recovery.
The NBA-HRI stressed that the time for promises is over, urging the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary to reconcile with the Nigerian people through concrete action.
“The NBA-HRI commits to utilizing its full legal machinery, from pro bono centers to legislative advocacy, to challenge every instance where a citizen’s fundamental rights are undermined,” the statement read.
Concluding, Anyia called on lawyers, journalists, and citizens alike to join in the struggle to ensure that Nigeria’s independence truly delivers “Justice and Dignity for All.”
Signed:
Sabastine Anyia, Esq.
1st Vice President & Chairman, NBA-HRI
For: The Nigerian Bar Association
