The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Abia State office, in collaboration with the Greater Women Initiative for Health and Rights (GWIHR), the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), the Ministry of Justice, SHRE and the Victorian Clarion Foundation (VICLAF), has intensified advocacy aimed at educating children and students across the state on their fundamental rights.

The sensitisation programme was designed to help students understand their rights, recognise when those rights are violated and encourage them to report such cases to the appropriate authorities.

Speaking during the programme, the Assistant Director of Investigation at the National Human Rights Commission, Abia State, Mrs. Ukachi Uka, described the initiative as timely and necessary. She said educating children about their rights would empower them to speak up whenever they experience abuse or any form of rights violation.

Mrs. Uka commended NEPWHAN, GWIHR and the Victorian Clarion Foundation for partnering with the commission to promote awareness of human rights, which she described as the basic freedoms and protections every individual is entitled to. She also highlighted the importance of familiarising students with existing child rights laws.

According to her, some of the fundamental rights of every child include the right to survival and development, the right to education and the right to healthcare. She added that legal frameworks protecting children's rights include the Child Rights Act (CRA), the Child Rights Law (CRL) 2004 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

Also speaking, Senior State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Ezetah Agbogo, said the advocacy programme would equip students with the knowledge needed to identify violations of their rights and report such incidents to the relevant authorities for appropriate action.

In his remarks, the Principal of Mayfair Secondary School, World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia, Mr. Timothy Nwachukwu, expressed appreciation to the advocacy team, including the National Human Rights Commission, NEPWHAN Abia State, GWIHR, SHRE, VICLAF and the Ministry of Justice, for organising the sensitisation programme.

He noted that the exercise had broadened the students' understanding of their rights and stressed the importance of reporting any form of rights abuse to the appropriate authorities.