By Ibironke Ariyo
Abuja, Dec. 19, 2025
In a landmark move to fortify Nigeria’s human rights ecosystem, the Devatop Centre for Africa Development and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have formalized a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This collaboration is designed to create a more robust, survivor-centric framework for addressing human rights abuses across the nation.
The partnership directly tackles a critical gap in the justice system: the often-traumatic and fragmented journey survivors face when seeking redress. By merging Devatop’s grassroots, technology-driven approach with the NHRC’s statutory authority, the initiative aims to streamline the path from violation to justice.
Mr. Joseph Osuigwe, Executive Director of Devatop, emphasized the partnership’s core mission. “This is more than a formal agreement; it’s a commitment to operationalize dignity,” he stated at the signing ceremony in Abuja. “We are building an integrated system where a survivor’s report triggers a coordinated, timely, and safe response, reducing the risk of re-traumatization and case attrition.”
The MoU establishes a concrete framework for joint action across several key areas:
- Survivor Support & Access to Justice: Creating clear, effective referral pathways to ensure survivors of gender-based violence, human trafficking, and exploitation receive comprehensive legal, medical, and psychosocial support.
- Capacity Building: Enhancing the skills of frontline responders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and community advocates to handle cases with greater sensitivity and efficiency.
- Public Awareness & Advocacy: Joint campaigns to educate the public on human rights and available reporting mechanisms, while advocating for policy improvements.
The Digital Backbone: The TALKAM App
A cornerstone of this collaboration is the formal adoption of Devatop’s TALKAM App as a centralized digital platform. This tool is designed to overcome significant barriers to reporting, such as fear of stigma, geographical isolation, or distrust of local authorities.
The app functions as a dual-purpose system:
1. For Survivors & Reporters: It provides a confidential, accessible channel to report abuses, connect with verified support services, and access vital information—all while prioritizing data security and user safety.
2. For Responders: It serves as a digital case management hub. CSOs and institutions like the NHRC can receive referrals, document cases with standardized protocols, track progress in real-time, and coordinate multi-agency responses, eliminating dangerous silos of information.
“The NHRC’s integration as a primary case manager on the TALKAM platform is a game-changer,” Osuigwe explained. “It ensures that reports entering the digital ecosystem are directly channeled to the national body mandated to act, creating a clear line of accountability and dramatically improving response times.”
Hajia Rabi Anwal, Head of Legal at the NHRC, underscored the institutional significance. “Our participation digitizes and strengthens our mandate. This platform enhances our monitoring capabilities, ensures cases are not lost, and allows for better coordination with civil society partners on the ground. It is a vital step toward transparent and professional case handling that survivors can trust.”
Context and Potential Impact
This partnership arrives at a crucial time. Effective human rights protection in large, diverse nations like Nigeria is persistently challenged by logistical hurdles, under-resourcing, and complex socio-cultural dynamics. By leveraging technology to bridge the gap between formal institutions (NHRC) and community-based actors (Devatop and its network), this model offers a replicable blueprint for other jurisdictions.
The ultimate vision is a seamless network where a survivor in a remote community can safely report an abuse via their phone, triggering an alert to a local Devatop-trained advocate for immediate support, while simultaneously creating a formal case file for the NHRC to pursue legal action. This end-to-end system promises not only to protect rights but to actively restore them.
The signing of this MoU is widely viewed as a significant step toward a more resilient, interconnected, and responsive human rights infrastructure for Nigeria, setting a new standard for public-civil society collaboration in the digital age.
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi
