Speaking to journalists during the award and dinner party on Friday night, NPHCDA’s Executive Director, Dr Faisal Shuaib commended the Commission for identifying and rewarding individuals and institutions for their efforts in the protection and promotion of human rights and also advancement of social justice.
He said “This recognizes the amazing work that NPHCDA is doing all across the country but we’ve not been doing it all alone, we have been working with the sub national level.
“All over the 200,000 primary health care, workers are making sure that people who come to primary health centres are treated with respect and dignity. It’s a human a right and these are public health intervention by primary health care workers and it is really part of why National Human Rights Commission recognizes the work that we do as very important for us to have been awarded this type of recognition so there is a nexus between public health and human right.
“I am not surprised that the staff of NPHCDA has been recognized for this award. Unlike other agencies, you find our staffs working around the clock, just to make sure that we meet the target of promoting health in Nigeria”.
Other winners of the human rights award are, Governors Babagana Zulum of Borno State and Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the state category.
Messrs Zulum and Wike, as governors, emerged as the best performers in terms of improving citizens’ livelihoods, thus creating an enabling climate for the protection of their human rights in the Northern and Southern Nigeria, respectively.
Also, Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) emerged winner in civil society organisations (CSOs) category.
Dr Faisal said the recognition by the National Human Rights Commission will spur the awardees to continue with interventions that promotes fundamental human rights in the country.
The NHRC Chairman, Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman said the National Human Rights Commission will increase the award categories in 2022.
She stated that human right is a collective responsibility and urged everyone to be more dedicated to it’s advancement.
