The trio made the call in separate messages to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have maintained that Nigeria’s economic reforms must translate into better living conditions, stronger protection of rights and greater security for citizens.
They stressed that the success of the country’s reforms should ultimately be judged by their effect on ordinary Nigerians.
They organisations therefore linked economic progress to the welfare and dignity of citizens, arguing that improvements in economic indicators would mean little if Nigerians continued to struggle with basic needs, insecurity and inadequate protection of their rights.
They also connected development with accountable governance, the rule of law and institutions that protect citizens. However, their messages differed in emphasis.
NHRC focused broadly on rights-based development and equal access to justice, while RULAAC reviewed President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address to raise specific concerns about the economy, security, governance and the 2027 elections.
CISLAC focused on impunity, stronger democratic institutions, civic freedoms and the need for democracy to deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule on 1 October 1960 and became a republic three years later in 1963.
The 1960 Constitution Order in Council formally established Nigeria as an independent and sovereign nation. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa became Prime Minister, while Nnamdi Azikiwe served as Governor-General under a federal parliamentary system.
Sixty-six years on, the promise of independence remains tied to security, opportunity, dignity and a better life for Nigerians.
In his Independence Day address, President Tinubu also linked prosperity to the lived experience of Nigerians. He noted that when he spoke of prosperity, he did not “speak merely of a larger economy, abstract numbers or better statistics”, but meant “something much more personal”.
He also pointed to Nigeria where farmers can cultivate their land safely, young people can find productive work, and “food and transportation are affordable”. President Tinubu declared that the country was moving “from reform to prosperity”.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, in reaction to President Tinubu’s Independence Day address, RULAAC acknowledged the administration’s references to economic growth, lower inflation, increased foreign reserves, greater stability in the foreign-exchange market and higher non-oil exports.
According to Mr Nwanguma, the measure of economic success cannot be statistics alone, but must be reflected in “the food on Nigerian families’ tables, electricity in their homes, quality education for their children and security in their communities.”
He maintained that food, transportation, housing, healthcare and education remained difficult for many households to afford, while inflation had reduced the purchasing power of wages.
RULAAC, therefore, urged the government to provide transparent accounts of savings and additional revenues generated by the reforms, as well as show how such resources were being invested in social protection, healthcare, education, public transportation, employment and infrastructure.
Mr Nwanguma added that citizens could not continually be asked to make sacrifices while governments at all levels appeared insufficiently committed to reducing “waste, ostentation and the cost of governance.”
RULAAC also criticised the limited attention to insecurity in President Tinubu’s address, citing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other forms of criminality as continuing threats to lives, livelihoods and economic activity.
It argued that farmers could not contribute to food security if they could not safely access their farms, while businesses could not thrive where kidnapping and violent crime imposed additional costs on economic activity.
But the organisation said security should not be limited to protection from criminal groups, as Nigerians must also be protected from unlawful conduct by state agents.
Mr Nwanguma disclosed that RULAAC continued to receive and document allegations of arbitrary arrest, torture and other ill-treatment, prolonged detention, extortion and unlawful seizure of property by law-enforcement personnel.
It therefore called for police reform, accountability for misconduct, effective civilian oversight and full implementation of safeguards contained in the Police Act 2020 and other applicable laws.
RULAAC also called for greater transparency in public expenditure, stronger anti-corruption institutions and judicial independence, alongside protection for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Mr Nwanguma stressed the need to protect journalists, human-rights defenders and civil society organisations.
The organisation maintained that “the rule of law cannot be selectively applied”, arguing that political officeholders, security officials and politically connected persons should be subject to the same laws as ordinary citizens.
RULAAC raised concerns about political intimidation and violence and It called for security-agency neutrality, protection for journalists and election observers, respect for INEC’s independence and enforcement against vote-buying.
In its Independence Day message, signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, the NHRC maintained that the success of Nigeria’s reforms must ultimately be measured by their impact on citizens’ lives, rights and dignity.
Reflecting on the national theme, “From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity”, the commission’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stressed that economic growth would only be sustainable if its benefits reached a broad section of the population.
He maintained that vulnerable and disadvantaged Nigerians must not bear a disproportionate share of the hardship associated with the reforms.
“The success of reforms must ultimately be measured by their impact on the lives, rights and dignity of ordinary Nigerians,” Mr Ojukwu pointed out.
