NEW PERSPECTIVES ON FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper rethinks the meaning and reach of fundamental human rights in Nigeria by
highlighting the gap between constitutional guarantees and real-world experiences. It
argues that emerging social, environmental, and digital challenges demand a broader,
more responsive interpretation of rights, one that centres lived realities rather than
narrow doctrinal frames. The discussion spotlights persistent enforcement deficits,
including weak institutional capacity, uneven judicial access, and recurring political
interference, while also pointing to innovative openings created by public-interest
litigation and grassroots mobilisation. It contends that Nigeria’s rights landscape is
shifting, not because the legal texts have changed significantly, but because social
expectations and accountability pressures are evolving rapidly. Ultimately, the paper
calls for a more dynamic theory of rights, one that recognises environmental protection,
data autonomy, and community self-determination as core to human dignity. This
perspective pushes beyond traditional civil and political categories to imagine a rights
framework fit for a complex, climate-stressed, and digitally mediated society that
empowers people at every level.