{"id":2105,"date":"2026-02-23T11:49:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T11:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/humanrightsanddemocracyforumblog\/?p=2105"},"modified":"2026-03-03T12:10:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:10:36","slug":"the-dignity-gap-in-post-colonial-nigeria-part-ii-constitutionalising-human-dignity-in-nigeria-by-ayobami-ruth-olufemi-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/humanrightsanddemocracyforumblog\/2026\/02\/23\/the-dignity-gap-in-post-colonial-nigeria-part-ii-constitutionalising-human-dignity-in-nigeria-by-ayobami-ruth-olufemi-white\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dignity Gap in Post-Colonial Nigeria (Part II): From Vision to Constitution, \u00a0 by Ayobami Ruth Olufemi-White"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While the first post-independence leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo articulated human dignity as the moral and political foundation of Nigeria, the translation of this vision into enforceable law only emerged gradually. From Africa\u2019s early champion of human rights to a nation marked by authoritarian control, Nigerians continue to face widespread human rights abuses including currently from terrorism<\/a>, internal displacement<\/a>, gender-based violence<\/a> to homophobic discrimination<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embedding Human Dignity in Law: Constitutional and Regional Protections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Olusegun Obasanjo\u2019s military regime (1976\u20131979), the 1979 Constitution was enacted. For the first time, Section 31(1) of the Constitution<\/a> explicitly recognized the right to human dignity, stating: \u201cEvery individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the collapse of the brutal military dictatorship under General Sani Abacha in 1999, Nigeria has reaffirmed human dignity in its constitution.\u00a0 Section 34 of the 1999 constitution reiterates section 31(1) of 1979<\/a> constitution. Additionally, the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights<\/a> reinforces this principle, with Article 5 declaring, “Every individual shall have the right to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being and to the recognition of his legal status”. The African Charter on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights has been domesticated as federal law in Nigeria since 1983 under the civilian president Shehu Shagari.[1]<\/sup><\/a> It can be invoked in civil proceedings under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules<\/a> to bring actions against both public and private actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, dignity is not only pivotal within the jurisprudence of the African Charter.[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0It is also central to Nigerian constitutional law, serving as a constitutional right and a value that informs the interpretation of rights.[3]<\/sup><\/a> This is seen through the explicit reference to right to the respect of dignity and the link to degrading treatment and torture. Section 34 of the 1999\u00a0 Nigerian Constitution (CFRN 1999) exemplifies this by outlining that, out of respect for dignity, “no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; no person shall be held in slavery or servitude; and no person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour”. This is in line with the African Charter <\/a>which states that “all forms of exploitation and degradation of man, particularly slavery, slave trade, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria has historically adopted a narrower approach to human dignity as a distinct right than South Africa, interpreting it primarily in terms of protection against the most egregious abuses, but not the death penalty. In cases like Kalu<\/em>, where Nigerian courts held that the constitutional right to dignity does not prohibit the death penalty, explicitly allowed as an exception to the right to life under Section 33(CFRN 1999), a position sharply at odds with international human rights standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Uzoukwu v. Ezeonu<\/em> decided by the Court of Appeal in 1991[4]<\/sup><\/a>, the appellants challenged actions by traditional rulers in their community, claiming these actions violated their constitutional rights. The dispute centered on whether the imposition of sanctions and interference by the rulers constituted a breach of the right to human dignity under the Nigerian Constitution. Taking a narrow approach to dignity, the Court of Appeal recognized that while the conduct met the threshold for discrimination, it did not reach the threshold for violating human dignity. The Nigerian Court of Appeal indicated that the “indignity to a person” has been defined to include “mental harassment, physical brutalization, while inhuman treatment typifies the lack of human sentiments, belittling of one\u2019s societal status or character, and the degradation of one\u2019s value or position of a person.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Nigerian law interprets human dignity narrowly, South African, British and International jurisprudence remains persuasive authority in Nigerian courts guiding the interpretation of human dignity. This is especially seen through how Nigeria’s Constitution underscores the prominence of human rights and dignity in two ways: through the difficulty of amending fundamental rights and the exclusion of human dignity from the limitations on fundamental rights under section 45. Section 9 of the Constitution outlines that an Act of the National Assembly for this purpose (the amendment of fundamental rights) requires the approval of not less than a four-fifths majority of all members of each House, as well as the resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all States. Section 45 of the Nigerian Constitution allows for the curtailment and certain limitations on fundamental rights; however, the right to dignity cannot be circumvented under this provision. As Section 45 states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing in sections 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 of this Constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society (a) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or (b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This represents the view that dignity exists partially outside of the law, is inviolable, and forms the moral and constitutional foundation of modern constitutionalism. This principle reflects the influence of international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, from which both the 1979 and 1999 Nigerian Constitutions drew their provisions on human dignity, affirming that respect for dignity is universal and a foundational obligation of the state.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human Dignity in Nigeria: The Promise and the Persistent Gap<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite constitutional recognition since 1999, in 2019 “Human Dignity and Human Rights: The Nigerian Question”, Okene and Akani noted that human dignity in Nigeria suffers not from the law itself, but from weak enforcement. [5]<\/sup><\/a> They also noted that from military dictatorship to civilian administration, human dignity has been consistently undermined. Under civilian rule (1960-1966, 1979\u20131983 and post-1999), rights are formally protected, but enforcement remains inconsistent and abuses widespread.[6]<\/sup><\/a> For example, the 1999 constitution allows people to sue for the infringement of their rights under Section 46. However, even under civilian rule, public actors evade accountability through extrajudicial imprisonment<\/a> and killing, bribing judges<\/a> (with the system of selecting judges and ministers incentivising corruption and impunity), and utilising the different provisions in various laws to stifle constitutional rights.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing the Dignity Gap<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria must close its dignity gap. Access to justice is essential; without it, dignity remains an empty promise. Closing the gap requires legal reform to remove laws that violate rights and domestically incorporate international instruments, such as the Maputo Protocol<\/a>, ensuring global human-rights norms are enforceable. Civic education is equally vital, through advocacy by legal practitioners, human-rights defenders, and engagement with elected representatives, so citizens know and demand their rights. Although laws affirm human dignity, without enforcement it remains aspirational. As the Venice Commission noted in 2025<\/a>, the rule of law, human rights, and democracy are interdependent and must be embedded constitutionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayobami Ruth Olufemi-White. Esq LLB, BL is a lawyer, writer, political commentator and human rights advocate focusing on the intersections of international law, dignity law, legal theory, feminist theory and critical race theory. She earned her LLB with First Class Honours from the University of Exeter, receiving the Peter English Dissertation Prize. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in September 2025 and is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note of the editor:<\/strong> this post was corrected and re-updated on 4 March 2026 in order to address some wording infelicities due to technical and software issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/sup><\/a> This Act came into effect on 17 March 1983 and is now contained in Cap 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a> TA Gelaye \u2018The role of human dignity in the \u2018human rights\u2019 jurisprudence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights\u2019 (2021) 5 African Human Rights Yearbook<\/em> 116,120.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/sup><\/a> E.S. Nwauche, \u2018A Bill of Rights as the Basis of a Common Law in a Pluralist Nigeria’ (2007) 1 African Journal of Legal Theory<\/em> 45, 56.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/sup><\/a> Uzoukwu v Ezeonu<\/em> II, (1991) 6 NWLR (pt 200) 708.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/sup><\/a> O V C Okene and Nnamdi Kingsley Akani, \u2018Human Dignity and Human Rights: The Nigerian Question\u2019 (2019) 17 Maiduguri Law Journal<\/em> 196, 202.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/sup><\/a> Ibid 204.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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