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 efforts to educate students and children in Abia State on their rights and how to identify and report violations.

The advocacy campaign, held as part of ongoing sensitisation programmes in schools across the state, is aimed at helping students understand their fundamental rights while encouraging them to speak up whenever those rights are infringed upon.

Speaking during the sensitisation programme, the Assistant Director of Investigation at the National Human Rights Commission, Abia State, Mrs. Ukachi Uka, described the initiative as essential to empowering young people with the confidence to report cases of abuse and rights violations.

She commended NEPWHAN Abia State, the Greater Women Initiative for Health and Rights, and the Victorian Clarion Foundation for partnering with the commission to educate students on human rights, which she described as the basic rights and freedoms every individual is entitled to, as well as existing child protection laws.

Mrs. Uka outlined some of the fundamental rights of every child, including the right to survival and development, the right to education, and the right to healthcare. She also highlighted key legal instruments that protect children's rights, including 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, a Senior State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Ezetah Agbogo, said the sensitisation programme would equip students with the knowledge needed to recognise their rights and report violations to the appropriate authorities.

In his remarks, the Principal of Mayfair Secondary School, World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia, Mr. Timothy Nwachukwu, expressed appreciation to the advocacy team, which included the National Human Rights Commission, NEPWHAN Abia State, the Greater Women Initiative for Health and Rights (GWIHR), SHRE, VICLAF and the Ministry of Justice.

He noted that the awareness campaign had broadened the students' understanding of their rights and the importance of reporting cases of abuse or rights violations to the appropriate authorities.