Abstracts
The Nigerian National Human Rights Commission like any other National Human Rights Commission needs evaluations/assessment in order to know, with precision, whether or not the purpose for it was established has been achieved. The Commission has been evaluated by writers on human rights. However, this paper hypothesise that criteria adopted in evaluating the Commission is inadequate and effective. Against this backdrop, this paper proposes a more effective criterion for the assessment of all Commissions. Thus, the paper embarks on the assessment of the activities, via its enabling Act, of the Nigerian NHRC from its inception in 1995 till 2011 when the amendment of the enabling Act was sought from the National Assembly. The paper concludes that the Commission has not performed up to the minimum standard expected of Human Rights Commissions. The paper comes up with some far reaching recommendations with hope that if such recommendations are adopted, the Commission would thenceforth be properly evaluated and that effective performance of the Commission will be enhanced.