The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called for stronger enforcement of laws protecting vulnerable persons, including improved healthcare delivery and institutional accountability in Nigeria’s detention facilities.
Mrs Onyinye Ndubuisi, UNDP Gender and Human Rights Lead, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a National Technical and Institutional Validation Meeting on guidelines for implementing selected laws applicable to vulnerable persons.
Ndubuisi said that despite existing legal and policy frameworks, women, children, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and other marginalised groups continued to face systemic barriers in accessing justice, protection and essential services.
She said the major challenge was no longer the absence of protective laws but inadequate institutional coordination, resources and accountability to translate legal provisions into improved lives.
“The fundamental question before us is not simply whether Nigeria has adequate laws to protect vulnerable persons.
“It is whether our institutions are sufficiently equipped, coordinated and accountable to ensure that those laws translate into protection, justice and improved lives,” she said.
Ndubuisi explained that survivors of gender-based violence often require medical attention, psychosocial support, legal assistance and protection but encounter fragmented institutional responses.
She identified gender-responsive justice delivery, human rights protection, coordination between health and justice institutions, institutional accountability and improved protection of vulnerable populations as critical areas requiring attention.
The UNDP representative disclosed that the organisation was preparing to undertake a study of detention centres in Nigeria to generate evidence that would inform interventions and future programmes.
She said that the study would help identify gaps in healthcare delivery and institutional responses, particularly concerning the rights and welfare of vulnerable persons in custody.
Ndubuisi also disclosed that the High-Level Observatory on Gender, Justice, Human Rights and Health was being extended across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering 20 jurisdictions.
According to her, the observatory will generate institutional evidence, identify implementation gaps, inform policy and strengthen oversight and accountability across relevant sectors.
She pointed out that while the guidelines would provide practical direction for implementing existing laws, the observatory would help assess institutional performance and identify areas requiring corrective action.
“What we do not adequately document, we cannot effectively address; what we do not monitor, we cannot hold institutions accountable for,” she said.
Mrs Ogechi Ogu, the Executive Director, Public Awareness on Rights and Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Persons Initiative (PAR-RVP), identified inadequate funding and poor coordination among government institutions as major obstacles to effective implementation of protective laws.
Ogu said several laws provided protections at different levels, but fragmented implementation and limited interaction among responsible institutions often undermined their intended objectives.
She identified the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, Anti-Torture Act, 2017, and Administration of Criminal Justice Act as key legislations brought together under the guidelines.
She said that the framework also incorporated relevant provisions of the Police Act and Nigerian Correctional Service Act to strengthen humane treatment and protection across the justice system.
Ogu noted that the deprivation of liberty did not amount to the loss of other fundamental human rights, particularly the right to healthcare.
“When an offence is committed and it requires taking away the freedom, the liberty to move around, it does not mean that other human rights have equally been taken away,” he said.
She warned that persons in custody should not be denied medical treatment or exposed to preventable deaths because they are awaiting trial or serving prison sentences.
The executive director also identified discrimination and stigmatisation as major barriers to justice, urging justice and healthcare providers to uphold the dignity of every individual irrespective of their circumstances.
Ms Habiba Hamza, Chief State Counsel, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Department, Federal Ministry of Justice, said the process was still ongoing, with the ministry currently working on validating the application.
She said a few more steps were required before implementation, adding that the validation exercise was an important part of the process.
According to her, the ultimate goal is to simplify the application of existing laws and make their implementation more effective.
Mr Chukwuma Chinaka, the Lead Legal Practitioner of the UNDP/Ministry of Technical Team that developed the guidelines, described the initiative as an important reform for protecting the legal and health rights of vulnerable populations.
Chinaka said the framework brought together relevant provisions scattered across different legislations to provide a practical guide for addressing violations affecting children in conflict with the law, women and persons in detention.
He said the guidelines would strengthen institutional responses to discrimination and other forms of abuse against vulnerable groups.
Ms Eberechi Onuselugo, a Public Health expert and member of the technical team, called on governments and international development partners to establish functional healthcare systems in prisons and other detention facilities.
Onuselugo described violence as a public health concern requiring interventions that address physical injuries as well as the mental, psychological and social well-being of affected persons.
She stressed that detainees should have access to adequate healthcare, including appropriate responses to disease outbreaks and other medical emergencies.
“People don’t need to live there worse than they came. They need to leave there and also be healthy,” she said.
She urged authorities to ensure that detention facilities provide timely and appropriate medical attention, adding that correctional institutions should improve rather than worsen the health conditions of inmates.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the guidelines are part of ongoing efforts by UNDP, the Federal Ministry of Justice and other partners to strengthen the implementation of existing laws.
They are also to improve access to justice, healthcare and human rights protection for vulnerable persons in Nigeria. (NAN)
