Amnesty International Nigeria has trained 30 young human rights defenders in Cross River State as part of efforts to strengthen civic space protection and promote human rights awareness at the grassroots.
The rights organisation said the initiative was aimed at building a network of trained advocates capable of documenting human rights violations, promoting accountability and engaging relevant institutions to address abuses within their communities.
The two-day intensive training, held in Calabar, was organised under the project titled “Strengthening Human Rights Defenders to Protect Civic Space,” with support from the German Embassy Fund.
Speaking during the training on Saturday, Amnesty International Nigeria’s Programmes Manager, Barbara Magaji, said the initiative was designed to equip young volunteers and social media influencers with the skills required to identify, document and respond to human rights violations within their communities.
According to her, the participants were selected from among Amnesty volunteers and micro-influencers with the capacity to reach wider audiences both physically and through digital platforms.
She said, “We want people to become more conscious of their rights and understand how they can respond when violations occur. Human rights abuses happen in communities, villages and wards across the country, and we cannot address them effectively from state capitals alone.
“These defenders will help create awareness, support affected communities and hold institutions accountable whenever violations occur.”
Magaji explained that the training forms part of a pilot project being implemented in Cross River, Kano and Bauchi states, adding that participants had earlier undergone virtual sessions before the physical workshop.
She noted that the programme would enable participants to carry out advocacy campaigns on issues affecting their communities, including violations of freedom of expression, the right to life, access to healthcare and other socio-economic rights.
She also expressed optimism that the trainees would effectively apply the knowledge gained, citing previous collaborations between Amnesty and volunteers in Cross River on campaigns against mob violence and witchcraft-related killings.
“One of the reports we released last year highlighted concerns about mob violence and witchcraft accusations in some communities. We have worked with volunteers here before and we are confident they will deliver,” she added.
Also speaking, one of the facilitators, Folahan Johnson, stressed the importance of credible data in documenting and addressing human rights violations.
Johnson said effective advocacy and policy reforms could only be achieved when violations are properly documented and supported with verifiable evidence.
“You cannot communicate the extent of a problem if you are not measuring it. Data is critical in conversations around human rights protection because it provides evidence that can guide interventions and policy decisions,” he said.
He explained that authentic data must come from credible sources and be backed by evidence, including eyewitness accounts, photographs and corroborating reports from other observers and institutions.
Johnson lamented what he described as Nigeria’s poor data culture, arguing that inadequate attention to data collection and analysis had negatively affected planning and governance.
“One of our major challenges as a country is that we do not take data seriously. Development, planning and even security responses should be driven by accurate data rather than sentiments.
“When government institutions and civil society organisations work together to gather and validate data, it becomes easier to identify problems and develop practical solutions,” he added.
According to Amnesty International, participants will be expected to return to their communities after the training to implement advocacy projects on identified human rights issues while mobilising more citizens to engage in civic action and human rights promotion.
The organisation said the programme aims to strengthen the capacity of young defenders to document violations ethically, manage physical and digital security risks and contribute to broader human rights advocacy efforts across Nigeria.