The National Human Rights Commission was established by Decree No: 22 on the 27th September, 1995, and now NHRC (Amendment) Act, 2010 in line with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. 48/134 of 20th December 1993, which enjoins all member states to establish National Human Right Institutions relative to their environment. The Act empowers the Commission to deal with all human right issues taking into consideration the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in line with other International Human Right Instrument to which Nigeria is a party.

One of the Commission’s mandate is to “organize local and international seminar, workshops and conferences on human rights issues of public enlightenment, liaise and corporate with local and international organizations on human rights for the purpose of advancing the promotion and protection of human rights. These human rights among other things include the right to food and shelter.

On the 16th October, 2018, the Commission observed the World Food 73rd Anniversary of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). The day is celebrated every year around the world in honour of the date of the founding of FAO of the United Nations in 1945.

World food day is observed by all United Nations member states. It is a day dedicated to tackling global hunger. People around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate world hunger from our lives. In celebrating the creation of the FAO, events are organised in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days in the UN calendar.

These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. The focus of the day is that food is a basic and fundamental human right. Yet, in a world of billions, 805 million people worldwide live with chronic hunger, 60% women and almost five million children under the age of five die of malnutrition-related causes every day. The Commission’s observance of World food is one of our commitments to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – to achieve zero hunger by 2030.

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitant Day. The purpose of world habitant day is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities. On the 1st October, 2018 the Commission attended a seminar hosted by the Ministry of Works and Housing at the NAF Conference Centre, Jahi, Abuja, to mark the World Habitant Day which was themed ‘Municipal Solid Waste Management.’

The commission has carried out sensitisation programs on human rights issues on forced evictions, intervened for victims of demolition activities to see that they are properly compensated or resettled.