Photo Caption: Members of the Stand for Humanity Foundation in a group photograph with Prof. Ogadinma (middle), wearing a white caftan, and Comrade Ekeoma (left), shortly after the seminar in Owerri.
Photo: Everest Ezihe
By Everest Ezihe, Owerri
An Associate Professor of Law at Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, Prof. Onyema Ogadinma, has trained members of Stand for Humanity Foundation on the fundamentals of human rights advocacy, urging civil society organisations (CSOs) to combine activism with professionalism, accountability and strict adherence to the law.
Ogadinma, who is also the Principal Partner of Victory Law Chambers, Owerri, gave the charge during a one-day intensive seminar organised for members and staff of the Foundation in Owerri over the weekend.
Speaking on the theme, “The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Human Rights Advocacy,” the legal scholar said the training was necessary to equip CSO operatives with the knowledge and skills required for the effective protection of human dignity rights and the advancement of democratic governance in Nigeria.
He said, human rights advocacy goes beyond making declarations about rights, stressing that it involves intervening when rights are threatened, giving vulnerable people a voice, mobilising relevant institutions and ensuring that victims are not abandoned.
“I am particularly pleased to address this subject in the context of the work of Stand for Humanity Foundation, an organisation whose activities demonstrate that human rights advocacy is not merely about making declarations about rights; it is about intervening when those rights are threatened, giving a voice to vulnerable persons, mobilising institutions to act, and ensuring that victims are not abandoned,” he said.
Ogadinma noted that the existence of constitutional guarantees and formal institutions alone was not sufficient to protect human rights in Nigeria, stressing the need for effective actors capable of connecting vulnerable persons to available legal and institutional mechanisms.
He explained that the seminar examined the constitutional and legal foundations of human rights advocacy, particularly access to justice under Section 46 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
According to him, the role of CSOs includes identifying and documenting violations, protecting victims, facilitating legal and institutional referrals, supporting litigation, mobilising communities and advocating institutional reforms.
The legal icon, who attended the seminar with members of his family and legal team, also emphasised the importance of child protection and collaboration among CSOs, lawyers, law-enforcement agencies, medical professionals, government institutions, the media and the National Human Rights Commission.
He insisted that effective advocacy must move beyond responding to individual cases to addressing the institutional conditions responsible for recurring human rights violations.
Ogadinma proposed the Identify–Document–Protect–Refer–Litigate–Advocate–Reform–Monitor (IDP-RLA-RM) strategic model as a framework for achieving sustainable human rights protection and institutional change.
He maintained that credible, accountable and collaborative civil society action was essential to making human rights meaningful to ordinary Nigerians.
The lecturer cited some interventions by Stand for Humanity Foundation, including its campaigns against child abuse in Imo State and its mobilisation of the police, Nigerian Bar Association, medical professionals, government agencies, media and other stakeholders towards the protection of children.
He also noted the foundation’s interventions in individual cases involving vulnerable persons, including assistance to a visually impaired woman and support for an orphan requiring medical treatment.
“These interventions provide an appropriate starting point for understanding the broader role of civil society in human-rights protection,” he said.
Ogadinma challenged human rights organisations in Nigeria to uphold the same standards of credibility and accountability they demand from government institutions.
He said, organisations demanding transparency from government must themselves be transparent, while those demanding accountability must be accountable.
Ogadinma also enjoined organisations handling sensitive cases to protect victims’ confidentiality and ensure that their advocacy was based on facts and law.
He further advised Stand for Humanity Foundation to continually strengthen its internal governance structures, financial transparency, case-management systems, evidence-management procedures, safeguarding policies, data protection mechanisms, professional partnerships, legal capacity, monitoring and evaluation systems.
The Lecturer described CSOs as indispensable actors in the realisation of constitutional rights, access to justice, democratic accountability and social justice in Nigeria.
According to him, the history of human rights protection in Nigeria cannot be written solely through statutes and judicial decisions but must also reflect the experiences of ordinary Nigerians whose rights have been violated and the organisations that stand with them.
“That is why, the work of Stand for Humanity Foundation is significant. The Foundation’s interventions demonstrate an important principle: Human rights advocacy begins when somebody decides that another person’s suffering must not be ignored,” he stated.
He, however, cautioned that the ultimate objective of advocacy should extend beyond responding to individual suffering to building institutions, laws and policies capable of preventing such violations from recurring.
The Legal Luminary insisted that while the Constitution provides the legal foundation, the courts provide remedies, the National Human Rights Commission offers an institutional mechanism and the legislature provides the legal framework, CSOs provide the voice, mobilisation and pressure needed to make these mechanisms effective for ordinary Nigerians.
Ogadinma further urged Stand for Humanity Foundation to position itself not merely as a humanitarian organisation responding to individual cases, but as a credible human rights institution capable of documenting violations, supporting victims, engaging government, pursuing strategic litigation, educating communities and advocating systemic reforms.
He stressed the need for the organisation to move “from awareness to action; action to accountability; accountability to reform; and reform to lasting protection of human dignity rights.”
The scholar added that the ultimate objective of human rights advocacy was not to speak for people indefinitely but to create a society where citizens were empowered to speak for themselves, institutions were compelled to respect their rights and every individual could live with dignity.
Speaking with journalists after the seminar, President of Stand for Humanity Foundation, Comrade Chimdiebube Ekeoma, said the training was organised to acquaint members and staff of the foundation with the enabling laws and legal frameworks guiding their operations.
Ekeoma, whose organisation operates with the motto “Humanity First and Humanity Forever,” commended Ogadinma for what he described as a well-researched presentation and excellent delivery.
He said participants were better informed and equipped to operate within the confines of Nigerian laws.
The foundation president also expressed appreciation to Ogadinma for his collaboration with the organisation, particularly his decision to direct his chambers to donate relevant books to the foundation to enhance its operations and provide legal services whenever required.
Ekeoma used the occasion to invite Ogadinma and his legal team to the foundation’s drug-abuse sensitisation programme scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Dan Anyiam Stadium Complex, Owerri.
The programme, which is scheduled to commence at 7 a.m., will feature a walk for healthy living through major roads and streets in Owerri.
Ekeoma said the campaign was part of the foundation’s broader efforts to combat child abuse, noting that the organisation’s investigations and research had established a link between drug abuse and child abuse.
“Our investigations and researches have shown that for effective eradication of child abuse in the society, you must first eradicate drug abuse, because drug abuse is a major enabler of child abuse,” he said.
He recalled that the foundation had raised similar awareness against child abuse in Owerri on July 4, 2026, adding that the forthcoming campaign would focus on drug abuse as part of efforts to tackle the root causes of child abuse.
According to him, the programme is being organised in collaboration with the Imo State Police Command, with the Commissioner of Police and other senior police officers expected to participate in the campaign.
He said participants would assemble at Dan Anyiam Stadium by 7 a.m. before embarking on a sensitisation healthy walk through the streets of Owerri to discourage residents, particularly young people, from abusing hard drugs and narcotics.
“Our mission is to ensure that the rights of every child are not violated but adequately protected. No child should be dehumanised,” Ekeoma declared.
On what the foundation hoped to achieve through the seminar, Ekeoma said the organisation was grooming a new generation of young men and women who would be better equipped, courageous and legally prepared to confront child abusers.
He said the objective was to ensure that every child whose rights had been violated received justice and that such children also received the necessary welfare and support.
Ekeoma appealed to Imo residents for their continual support to the foundation as lawful partners in the fight against dehumanisation, child abuse, intimidation, harassment, child labour and slavery among other antisocial vices.
He also urged residents to report suspected cases of child abuse before they escalated.
“Wherever and whenever you see a child attempted to be abused, report to us. Don’t even wait until the child is abused. When you see an unreasonable sense of abuse, suspected abuse, report to us,” he appealed.
He assured whistle-blowers that their identities would be protected and that those who wished to remain anonymous would be allowed to do so.
The seminar also featured the presentation of a certificate of recognition and appreciation to Nurse Confidence Nwaozuzu, who was honoured as the Most Outstanding Member of Stand for Humanity Foundation for the month of August 2026.
Ekeoma said the recognition was designed to appreciate members who demonstrated exceptional commitment and sacrifice while encouraging others to remain dedicated to the foundation’s humanitarian mission.
He also disclosed plans to introduce cash rewards in subsequent recognition exercises, while cautioning against taking bribe from suspects or victims.
In another gesture, the foundation donated ₦80,800 to Comrade Azunna Ejiogu, its Director of Protocol and Logistics I, to support his recovery following serious health challenges.
The foundation also made a philanthropic cash donation to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Iwunze following the safe delivery of their baby, Lotanna Audric Iwunze, and entrusted the child into God’s care for a brighter future.
