APPRAISAL OF THE ROLE OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN PROTECTING THE VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper appraised of the role of non - governmental organisations (NGOs) towards protecting the victims of human rights violation in Nigeria. Some non – governmental organisations particularly the World Bank had recently approved the loan of $ 350, 000, 000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Million Dollars) to the Nigerian government to provide accommodation and shelter for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) or victims of armed conflicts and their host communities in northern Nigeria. According to The World Bank, the loan has empowered the Nigerian government in supporting about seven million conflicts driven displaced person across selected Local Governments in Northern Nigeria. There is no any law in Nigeria which expressly allowed the application of foreign loan to social welfare in Nigeria, instead of the Nigerian government to apply its resources in addressing the root cause of the conflicts which resulted in the internal displacement and violation of human rights, it is now using a foreign loan to provide a welfare package for the displaced persons which is undoubtedly a misplacement of priority, and smart way of embezzling public funds. This paper recommended a radical amendment of our extant laws to regulate its application to the welfare of the citizenry while it is not wrong to apply foreign loan in addressing the question of human rights violation in Nigeria, it is imperative note also that such foreign loans should rather be used in addressing the root causes of such violations and their resultant effects. In achieving all these, the paper adopts a doctrinal method of research.