The Management of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has approved a 10-month structured staff training programme in line with the Commission’s Act 1995 as amended.

While declaring programme open on Monday, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, charged benefiting staff to make effective use of the opportunity, to acquire skills that would reflect in their productivity in the various departments and the overall performance of the organization in discharge of its mandates.

The capacity training programme which centres on “Concept development and Report writing.”

According to Ojukwu who was represented by the NHRC Director, Economic, Social and Cultural Department, Isioma Nwosa, the maiden workshop was “designed to educate our investigators and legal officers with the knowledge and competences required to effectively handle complaints relating to our nation’s economic, social and cultural rights.

“Economic, social and cultural rights department schedule is to promote, protect and provide redress for victims of rights violations including the right to healthy healthcare, education, labour, food, water, and sanitation.”

He maintained that this means that there is demand for structured and well articulated interventions which in turn require strong foundational skills in concept development and report writing.

“This workshop therefore gives also a direct response to the recent internal restructuring within the department which has expanded the professional responsibilities of staff. Our capacities must keep pace with the mandates and this training is one step in that direction.

“I have given approval for a 10-month structured training programme aimed at training staff capacities in investigating and resolving complaints. This initiative will resuscitate the commission’s mandate under the NHRC Act 1995 as amended which empowers to organize workshops, seminars and conferences in furtherance of human rights protection and protection. It also reflects our commitment to staff development and institutional excellence.”

He charged the participants to be actively engaged in the workshop to make best use of the opportunity to enhance their skills.

According to Ojukwu, “To all participants, I encourage you to engage actively, ask questions, seek clarifications, share experiences that will help you to come out of this training, armed with practical skills you can apply to enhance and reflect on your work and to make tangible impact on promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights.

The Department of economic, social and cultural rights has the mandate of the commission which is the promotion, protection and development of human rights, undertakes a number of initiatives that are unique to the work that they do.

To effectively implement these initiatives, it is important that staff are prepared with strong proposals and report writing skills to enable them to conceptualise, educate and properly document department programmes and activities.

Some of the technical papers presented by the workshop consultant, Mrs Ifeoma Nwakama mni, include Concept Development Overview, steps and guide” and “Steps for effective report writing”