NHRC Honours Ford Foundation With Award For Sustained Support To Human Rights In Nigeria 

The Ford Foundation’s Regional Director for West Africa, Ms. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye (left) and the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN prior to the conferment of the award on Friday, 24/04/2026

…As Ford Foundation advocates strengthening Institutions, Stems for human rights enforcement

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has acknowledged the supportive roles of the Ford Foundation with presentation of an Award of Appreciation for its sustained contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.

This coincided with Ford Foundation advocating that institutions and systems for enforcement of human rights are strengthened in order not to undermine any iota of human rights in Nigeria.

Group photograph

The award which took place at the NHRC headquarters at the weekend, was received by the Ford Foundation’s Regional Director for West Africa, Ms. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, during a high-level meeting which brought together directors and senior officials of the Commission as part of an event focused on acknowledging longstanding partnership and support.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, commended Ford Foundation for its consistent support to the human rights Commission particularly in strengthening access to justice and enhancing institutional capacity.

He noted that because the Commission carries a broad mandate, it cannot operate in isolation, especially given the scale and complexity of human rights challenges in the country. Sustained partnerships, he said, remain essential to ensuring that the protection of human rights is not only a policy aspiration but a practical reality for citizens.

Ms. Aniagolu-Okoye, in her response, expressed appreciation for the recognition on behalf of the institution, describing it as both encouraging and significant.

She noted that one of the core objectives of the Foundation’s work is to ensure that people are better informed about their rights and supported to access justice where violations occur.

However, she observed that while awareness of rights is important, equal attention must be given to strengthening the systems responsible for enforcing those rights.

According to her, gaps between awareness and effective justice delivery can undermine public confidence and limit the impact of human rights education.

She further emphasized that trust in institutions grows when citizens experience fair and accessible justice processes, adding that strengthening these systems is critical to sustainable human rights protection.

The engagement also highlighted the importance of continued cooperation between the Commission and development partners in addressing evolving human rights challenges in Nigeria

In a vote of thanks, the Senior Human Rights Advisor to the Commission, Dr. Hilary Ogbonna, expressed appreciation to the Ford Foundation for its longstanding partnership and support to the Commission in actualizing it’s mandate.

He highlighted that institutional progress, including initiatives such as the MOVE project, development of the Commission’s dashboard system, and other initiatives, reflects the value of sustained collaboration, some of which had initial support from Ford Foundation.

He also commended the leadership of the Executive Secretary for sustaining institutional collaboration that has enabled impactful partnerships.

Dr. Ogbonna further acknowledged the commitment of the Commission’s directors, noting their dedication to advancing the mandate of the Commission despite operational challenges which he said, remains highly commendable.

The Senior Human Rights Adviser equally paid tribute to members of the media, describing them as critical partners in the human rights ecosystem.

According to him, the work of the Commission would not achieve its current level of visibility and impact without the role of the press as part of the “fourth estate of the realm,” which helps to amplify, document, and disseminate human rights issues to the public.

The engagement reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation between the Commission and its partners in strengthening human rights protection and justice delivery systems in Nigeria.