General
EU Strengthens African Human Rights System
By Dipo Olowookere
Today, in the wake of the 12th AU-EU Human Rights Dialogue, the EU signed a €1.8 million grant contract with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).
This was the last of a series of 5 contracts the EU is funding under €10 million action aimed at ‘Strengthening the African Human Rights System’ under the EU Pan-African Programme (PANAF).
The main objective of the contract with the PAP is to ensure that all AU Member States ratify, domesticate and implement the AU legal instruments in the field of good governance and human rights.
The cooperation with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), national and regional Parliaments and the African Union Commission (AUC) would be crucial to effectively address this objective by using the PAP’s oversight, advisory and consultative functions.
The contract also covers the cooperation with the European Parliament (EP) and the formulation of model laws in the field of good governance and human rights.
The other grant contracts were signed with the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR).
A last contract provides support to these four thematic contracts via a dedicated Technical Assistance team.
The major objective of the project with the ACERWC is to enhance and strengthen the function of the ACERWC with a view of enabling the Committee to effectively deliver in accordance with its mandate.
Specifically, the project aims at ensuring full ownership and implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child at country level; introducing an integrated approach of protection and promotion of children’s rights in Africa; and creating an enhanced information flow and knowledge sharing platforms and tools on the African Children’s Charter.
Some of the major activities under the project include engaging State Parties on experience sharing and cross boarder issues affecting children’s rights in Africa, litigating on child rights issues including follow up on decisions of previous communications and concluding observations and recommendations.
The third contract, with ACHPR, is to improve the respect for human rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.
The ACHPR will advocate for and monitor the implementation of instruments in the AU Member States. The contract also concentrates on litigation, ensuring timely adjudication of complaints to the AfCHPR as well as diligent follow-up on compliance by the AU Member States.
It will raise awareness to enable citizens to have a clear understanding of their rights and duties, document good practices in legal and policy reforms and undertake joint investigative missions.
The AfCHPR contract complements the previous one by concentrating on the streamlining of the Court’s processes to improve efficiency and understanding of the proceedings. The AfCHPR is also expected to reduce time for completion of cases and ensure adequate and timely compensation to victims.
The AfCHPR will work to increase the number of ratifications of the Protocol on the establishment of the AfCHPR and the number of countries which have deposited the Article 34(6) declaration allowing individuals and civil society organisations direct access to the AfCHPR.
The PANAF, which was set up in order to support African integration, is the first ever EU cooperation instrument that covers the whole of Africa. It was established in 2014, and constitutes one of the main EU financial instruments for the implementation of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy.
The PANAF is funded under the EU’s Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) with €845 million for 2014-2020.
The current Project ‘Strengthening the African Human Rights System’ is part of a wider approach covering governance and human rights under the PANAF which includes support to the African Governance Architecture, election observation and civil society organisations.
The objective is to contribute to a transparent, democratic and accountable environment in respect of human rights and rule of law in Africa.
The EU has been supporting the work of the Africa’s human rights organs since 2011 in the framework of the African Union Support Programme as well as the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court ordering the freezing of the bank account of the Osun Srate government.
In a statement today by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said he’s “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order” because of its timing, which is just a few days to the governorship election in the state next Saturday.
According to him, actions of an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
