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Courtesy Visit from Solidarity Center

Yesterday, FIDA Nigeria received A delegation from Solidarity center on a courtesy visit with the Regional Coordinator (Sub Sahara Africa) @jacquelinewamai the visit was aimed at introducing the International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW) also learn about FIDA’s key areas of interest.

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FIDA Nigeria Vehemently Condemns the Killing of Deborah Yakubu A Student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto

A truly sad day when another young person is killed publicly in her prime through extra-judicial means

As a nation we must respect and value human life, FIDA Nigeria is greatly saddened by the reported gruesome killing and burning of Deborah Yakubu, a 200-level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, North-West Nigeria.

Reports suggest that she was violently stoned to death and later set ablaze by the angry mob, who are mostly students of the college because of her beliefs. FIDA Nigeria strongly condemns this condemnable Act.

Section 33(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN), 1999, provides that “every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offense of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria”.

Furthermore, Section 38(1) of the Constitution makes provision for the citizen’s ‘freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice, and observance.’

FIDA loudly calls for urgent action to investigate this deplorable incident and to hold those responsible to account. We must work together to ensure that all offenders are brought to justice and adequately punished in line with our laws, so it serves as a deterrent to others.

Government must as part of its responsibilities carry out aggressive advocacy and sensitization programs to educate the society about these rights and freedoms every Nigerian is entitled to enjoy, stressing respect for individual rights, cooperation, understanding, and tolerance

FIDA sincerely commiserates with the family of Ms. Deborah.

FIDA Nigeria remains committed to the promotion, protection, and preservation of the rights of women and children in Nigeria. We exercise our mandate through the provision of free legal representation for indigent women and children and also by advocating for gender-friendly reforms of the law.

JusticeForDeborah

Signed:

Mrs. Amina Suzanah Agbaje
Country Vice President/National President
FIDA Nigeria

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FIDA Nigeria Organises a Capacity Building Workshop for Fifty (50) Traditional & Faith Leaders On SGBV, CEFM & CTIP Response Strategies

FIDA Nigeria in collaboration with Palladium under the SCALE (Strengthening Civil Advocacy & Local Engagement) Project which is being supported by USAID is strengthening the capacity of fifty (50) traditional and faith Leaders on SGBV, CEFM & CTIP prevention and response strategies across twenty-four (24) local communities where these issues are prevalent.

In a statement by her Programme Manager, Mr. Fikih Obaro, he stated that these training will hold in the month of May 2022 in Delta and the Federal Capital Territory and is meant to increase gender-sensitive information and awareness-raising on the menace because Traditional and Faith Leaders are uniquely placed to prevent SGBV & CEFM where they are domiciled, given their understanding of the local context, and having native knowledge of predisposing factors & practices that encourage and allow SGBV, CEFM, and TIP to thrive. These 24 communities cut across six states namely Delta, Bauchi, Katsina, Ebonyi, Federal Capital Territory, and Osun States respectively.

It is our expectation that at the end of this training workshop, traditional and Faith Leaders will be well equipped to serve as advocates and paralegals which will transcend in the development of byelaws in preventing this menace. Furthermore, they will be able to institutionalize and establish coordinated response and referral pathways in tandem with Law Enforcement agencies towards ensuring arrests and prosecution of perpetrators of these crimes, while working with state actors to create a gender sensitive& protective environment for survivors.

Amina Suzanah Agbaje (Mrs)
Country Vice President/National President

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Valediction: FIDA celebrates with Justice Mary Peter Odili

By Lillian Okenwa

Along with dignitaries from all walks of life, members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria turned out in their numbers to grace the valedictory session of Hon. Justice Mary Peter Odili who bowed out of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday, May 12, 2022.

Mary Ukaego Peter Odili, the third woman to ascend the Supreme Court bench in Nigeria is the pioneer Chairperson of FIDA Nigeria Rivers state.

From a lowly Magistrate Grade 3 in 1978, Justice Odili, daughter of a former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Owerri Branch, Eze Bernard Nzenwa, rose to the highest court in the land — the Supreme Court of Nigeria — in 2011.

Below are photos of the event.

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Courtesy Visit to NDLEA

FIDA Nigeria led by her Country Vice/National President (CVP) Amina Suzanah Agbaje, on Tuesday 11th May 2022, paid a courtesy visit to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) headquarters in Abuja. the team was received by the DG NDLEA Brig. Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd) and other staff of the agency.

In her speech, the CVP reiterated the need for the visit as it has become imperative to maintain a cordial relationship with the NDLEA seeing that the agency has done exceptionally well in curbing the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria. The DG on his part appreciated the courtesy visit and assured FIDA Nigeria of a robust and effective collaboration between the two bodies.

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Courtesy Vist from Peace Education and Practice Network

FIDA Nigeria received a delegation from Peace Education and Practice Network (PEPNET) foundation led by Adeeso, Adedoyin Omolara Program Development Officer, on a courtesy visit, on Tuesday 26th, 2022.

The purpose of the visit was to establish a working relationship and discuss areas of possible partnership in implementing projects, training and capacity building around peace and conflict resolution.

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Job Vacancy for United Nations Spotlight Initiate (UNSI) Funded Project Program Officer

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, is a national non-profit, non-governmental, civil society organization of women lawyers established to promote, protect and preserve the rights, interests and well-being of women and children through the use of legal framework to ensure that they live free from all forms of discrimination, violence, and abuse in the society. The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigeria has been at the forefront of advocating for laws and policies that protect the rights, including sexual and reproductive health rights, and dignity of women and girls; that ultimately seek to prevent all forms of violence that may be meted against them. In pursuing our objectives, we carry out advocacy, citizen engagement, and policy campaigns. We also provide technical assistance in legal education, training, mediation, and counseling to governmental and non-governmental institutions.
FIDA Nigeria is recruiting to fill the position below:

Job title: Program Officer

Location: Lagos
Type: One-year fixed term
Background

The project aims to support a Nigeria where all women and girls, particularly the most vulnerable, live a life free from violence and harmful practices. We are convinced that this can be achieved by providing essential, safe and adequate multi-sectoral services for victims and survivors of VAWG/SGBV/HP and the promotion of the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls. Working with women’s and girls’ rights advocates and CSOs, FIDA Nigeria will advocate for gender-responsive budgeting at relevant government ministries and houses of assembly to eliminate VAWG/SGBV/HP and promote women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights at the national and sub-national levels.
The individual will work on the United Nations Spotlight Initiate (UNSI) Funded Project to Eliminate Violence against Women and Girls in Lagos State, Nigeria. The Program Officer will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the FIDA Nigeria National President/Country Vice President, National Secretary, and other members of the National Executive Council, and would report to these individuals through the Programme Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will carry out the following tasks:
o Plan and implement the UNSI Project activities in Lagos State in close collaboration with the resident FIDA State branch and proactively deal with arising challenges, nuances or changes.
o In collaboration with the resident FIDA state branch, develop and maintain stakeholder and network relationships which are essential to the successful implementation of the Project.
o Develop products and prepare Project and activity reports, technical briefings, background papers and update notes for the UNSI in the state.
o Contribute to the adherence to donor/grant requirements, including financial standards.
o Collaborate with the Accounts Unit to ensure the proper management of financial records, including the provision of complete documentation for requests and retirements.
o Support the smooth and effective flow of communication between FIDA Nigeria and the State branch.

Competencies

1. Professionalism:
   Demonstrates professional competence in women and children’s rights, rule of law as well as, knowledge of related policies and practices at the national, regional, and international levels;
   Demonstrates knowledge of programme management cycle, including monitoring and reporting;
   Ability to identify and contribute to the solution of problems/issues with a display of persistency;
   Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results;
   Motivated by professional drive rather than personal concerns;
2. Teamwork:
   Ability to collaborate with colleagues within and outside of FIDA Nigeria to achieve organizational goals;
   Ability to solicit inputs by genuinely valuing the ideas and expertise of others;
   Willingness to learn from others;
   Support and act in accordance with team and organizational decisions;
3. Planning & Organizing:
   Ability to establish priorities, to plan, coordinate, and monitor work while prioritizing competing demands;
   Foresight for risks and contingencies when planning;
   Ability to monitor and adjust plans and projects as necessary;
4. Communication:
   Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively with a range of audiences, including the ability to prepare reports and make presentations in a variety of fora;
   Ability to conduct presentations by clearly formulating positions on issues, articulating options concisely, conveying maximum necessary information as well as making and defending recommendations.
   Job Requirements
5. Minimum Required Experience:
   2 years’ work experience in addressing women’s and children’s rights issues
   Experience in project implementation
   Bachelor’s Degree in any of the following: Law, Sociology & Related fields
   Legislative advocacy would be an added advantage
   Women are strongly encouraged to apply.
   Qualified candidates should send their curriculum vitae and application addressed to the Country Vice-President/National President to fidanigeria@yahoo.com.
   Subject of e-mail should be “Application for the Position of Program Officer [State]”. E.G. “Application for the Position of Program Officer Lagos State Branch”.
   Deadline: 30th April, 2022.
   Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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FIDA Rivers Organized a One-Day Workshop On the ACJL – Practical Approach To Arrest And Related Matters For Law Enforcement Agencies

FIDA Nigeria, Rivers State Branch in collaboration with Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council, Rivers  State Police Command, International Committee of the Red Cross, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria ( LACON) and Nigeria Bar Association (Port Harcourt Branch), held a one day Workshop on: “Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) – Practical Approach to Arrest and Related Matters for Law Enforcement Agencies and Launch of the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme ( PDSS) in Rivers State”.

The event held on the 13th of April, 2022 at the NBA Port Harcourt Branch House. In attendance were Honourable Judges of the Rivers State High Court and Magistrates, with 250 participants drawn from different Police Formation Division in the State and other Stakeholders present.

The intensive workshop was declared open by the Chief Judge of Rivers State; Hon. Justice S.C Amadi, while the Keynote Address was delivered by the Representative of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.

The Workshop had four different sessions on notable provisions of the ACJL, Accessing free Legal Aid Services at the Police Station: A case study of the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme(PDSS), New Practice Direction and Police Reporting Obligations in the State. These Sessions were anchored by eminent resource persons such as; Mrs. Evelyn Asimiea  (DCVP) FIDA Nigeria, Mrs.Nnenna Igbokwe (Chairperson Emeritus FIDA Rivers), and other Resource Persons from  the International Red Cross Committee, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, FIDA Nigeria Rivers State Branch, and the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitory Council.

The workshop was indeed a huge success and will go a long way in strengthening the Criminal Justice System in Rivers State.

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FIDA Conducts a One-day Workshop on the ACJA and other Anti- Corruption legislative frameworks in Nigeria

On Thursday, 7th of April 2022, FIDA Nigeria, Abuja branch carried out a one-day workshop on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and other Anti-Corruption legislative frameworks in Nigeria.

Participants were drawn from ICPC, EFCC, FCT Judiciary, prosecutors from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Police force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Customs Service, Legal Aid Council, Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and FIDA members from prestigious law firms in the FCT.

The Facilitator, an expert on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and Anti-Corruption laws gave a very rich presentation that was engaging and took Participants through the four areas of interest and more.

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Call For Expression of Interest to Conduct A Short-Term Research on Impacts of Violent Policing On Women And Young People In Kaduna State

Introduction

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria is a non-profit, non-governmental organization made up of over 4,000 female lawyers with several years’ experience in utilizing the law to address social problems in Nigeria. The organization’s mandate is the enhancement, promotion, protection and preservation of the rights and welfare of women and children in Nigeria FIDA Nigeria implements key projects and activities aimed at providing access to justice to indigent persons, particularly women and children.

FIDA Nigeria is seeking to engage the below professional:
Job title: Formative Researcher
Locations: Kaduna State
Vacancy Type: 10 days fixed-term, non-renewable (20th to 30th April 2022)
The individual will work on FIDA Nigeria implementation of the “Safer Policing Initiative, Seen through My Eyes – The Impacts of Violent Policing” in Kaduna State.

Background
FIDA Nigeria received a research grant from Amnesty International Nigeria (AIN) with support from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) to implement a programme titled “Safer Policing Initiative: Seen through My Eyes – The Impacts of Violent Policing with an overall objective of creating a human right-based policing culture in Nigeria with a zero-tolerance attitude to unlawful police activity- specifically excessive use of force”.

Purpose of Consultancy
The goal of the programme is to raise public awareness about the wider negative impacts of excessive use of force by the police on young people and women in Nigeria by promoting the research report and exhibition of photographs with a view to ensuring that:

1. The general public is better informed about the negative impacts of police brutality on the victims, especially young people and women
2. The general public holds the police more accountable by reporting cases of police brutality to the Police Public Complaints Response Unit (PPCRU), Police Service Commission (PSC), National Human Rights Commission, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Press
3. The Nigeria Police will be more aware of the negative impacts of excessive use of force by its personnel on the citizens and take more proactive actions to end the practice through more civil engagements with the communities and promoting respect for human rights among its personnel
4. Civil Society Organizations and the Press will support efforts at holding the Nigeria Police more accountable in the discharge of its duties to the citizens
   Duties and Responsibilities
   The successful candidate will carry out the following tasks under the supervision of the Programme Manager:
   a. Research and report on the damaging impacts of police brutality on ten (10) young people and women in Kaduna State across four local government areas of Kaduna State. (Research and Community Engagement).
   b. Collate and submit photographs that tell stories of the impacts of excessive use of force by police on ten(10) citizens for the development of Seen through My Eyes website
   c. Carry out data gathering through interviews of ten (10) community members and collation of action photographs that tell stories of impacts of excessive use of force by the police in the communities
   d. Produce evidence-based reports of negative impacts of excessive use of force by the police on women and young people in the communities
   e. Report of research with action photographs depicting engagements with at least 10 direct victims of excessive use of force by the police and the complaints response unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
   f. Interviews with 10 victims (young people and women) in at least four (4) local government areas of the state

g. Perform other duties as assigned by the National Executive Committee, branch chairperson or programme manager.

The Researcher will work under the overall guidance and supervision of FIDA Nigeria National President/Country Vice President, National Secretary and other National Executives, and report to them through the Programme Manager

Deliverables

1. Report of research with action photographs depicting engagements with at least 10 direct victims of excessive use of force by the police and the complaints response unit of the Nigeria Police Force. Interviews with 10 victims (young people and women) in at least four (4) local government areas of the state.

Competencies

1. Professionalism:

a. Demonstrates professional competence in human rights especially as it relates to police brutality, rule of law as well as, knowledge of related policies and practices at the national, regional and international levels;
b. Demonstrates good understanding of the Amnesty International funded project to mitigate the incidence of police brutality, through community-led change, by altering the social norms, beliefs and traditional practices that subjugate people in the target communities.
c. Demonstrates knowledge of project management cycle, including monitoring and reporting;
d. Ability to identify and contribute to the solution of problems/issues with a display of persistency;
e. Commitment and passion for work and achievements;
f. Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results;
g. Motivated by professional rather than personal concerns;
h. Display of persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges and ability to remain calm in stressful situations;
i. Ability to incorporate gender and child rights perspectives in projects and activities and in ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

1. Teamwork:
   a. Proven interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
   b. Ability to collaborate with colleagues within and outside of FIDA Nigeria to achieve organizational goals;
   c. Ability to solicit inputs by genuinely valuing the ideas and expertise of others;
   d. Willingness to learn from others;
   e. Support and act in accordance with team and organizational decisions;
2. Planning & Organizing:
   a. Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate, and monitor work while prioritizing competing demands;
   b. Ability to work on tight deadlines;
   c. Knowledge and skill on how to develop clear goals consistent with agreed strategies;
   d. Foresight for risks and contingencies when planning;
   e. Ability to monitor and adjust plans and projects as necessary;
   f. Ability to use time efficiently.
3. Communication:
   a. Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively with a range of audiences, including ability to prepare reports and make presentations in a variety of fora;
   b. Ability to conduct presentations by clearly formulating positions on issues, articulating options concisely, conveying maximum necessary information as well as making and defending recommendations.
   Job Requirements
4. Minimum required experience:
   a. 5 years’ work experience in the thematic areas of research especially in human rights and rule of law.
   b. Experience working in the criminal justice sector.
   c. Experience in project implementation.
5. Minimum Qualifications:
   a. Bachelor’s Degree in any of the following: Law, Political Science or any discipline in the Social Sciences.
   b.Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English, Hausa & any prominent local language spoken in the state is desirable and an added advantage.
   How to Apply
   Qualified candidates should send curriculum vitae and cover letter addressed to the Country Vice-President/National President to hr@fida.org.ng or fidanigeria@yahoo.com
   Subject of e-mail should be “Application for the Position of Formative Researcher [Kaduna State]”.
   Timeframe
   Deadline: Monday April 19th , 2022.
   Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.