By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm 15 nominees for appointment to the governing board of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s human rights protection framework.
The request was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary on Tuesday.
The nomination seeks the reconstitution of the commission’s board in line with statutory provisions.
At the centre of the list is Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been nominated as Chairman of the board, while Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) is proposed as Executive Secretary.
The President also submitted 13 other nominees drawn from diverse professional backgrounds, including the media and legal sectors.
Among them are journalists Ayo Adewuyi of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Maupe Ogun of Channels Television, as well as legal practitioner Chinonye Obiaku (SAN).
According to President Tinubu, the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers the President to constitute the board, subject to Senate confirmation.
He said the reconstitution of the board was necessary to strengthen the institutional capacity of the commission and enable it to more effectively carry out its mandate of promoting and protecting human rights across Nigeria.
Following the presentation, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters for screening, with a directive to report back within two weeks.
Subject to confirmation, the new board is expected to play a key role in reinforcing the NHRC’s oversight functions, particularly amid growing concerns over human rights protection and accountability in the country.