Human Rights Developments

Defending Human Rights

The Role of the International Community

Nigeria's numerous and sophisticated human rights groups were able to operate freely throughout the year. Indeed, civil society groups had a more ambitious legislative and reform program than the government.

The government-appointed National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), created in 1996, held a number of meetings to discuss human rights issues, most of them co-sponsored by nongovernmental human rights groups. In June 2000, the government dissolved the board of the NHRC and appointed new members, amid controversy as to the legitimacy of the procedure.