Avocats Sans Frontières France and the NBA Holds Legal Aid Coordination Meeting

 

In the context of its activities aimed at promoting the enjoyment of Human Rights in Nigeria, Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), in collaboration with its local partners, the Nigerian Bar Association held its second Legal Aid Coordination Meeting. The meeting was orchestrated on the wings of the “Strengthening the National Actors Capacities and Advocation for Ending Severe Human Rights Violations in Nigeria project” (SAFE), funded by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which is targeted at addressing human rights violations of torture, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detention.

The legal aid coordination meeting took place on the 28th of April, 2021. The one-day meeting afforded the project support lawyers an opportunity to provide updates on the status of legal aid delivery in their respective states as regards the second year of the project. It also afforded experience and learning sharing amongst the lawyers in the provision of free legal assistance on the SAFE project to victims of torture, family members of victims of extra judicial killings and arbitrary detentions.

In attendance at the legal aid coordination meeting were;  the SAFE project support lawyers, nominated NBA pro-bono lawyers, the NBA SAFE project focal person, a representative of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and a ProCAT project support lawyer. The meeting started off with the welcome address by the Country Director, Mrs. Angela Uwandu, who went ahead to provide general updates on the implementation of the SAFE project in line with the project activity action map. Each lawyer delivered a presentation as regards legal aid delivery on the SAFE project in their respective state. On the spot recommendations were made to tackle the challenges highlighted by the lawyers during their presentations. So far, the project has provided free legal services to 70 victims of human rights violations relating to torture, arbitrary detention or extra judicial killings.

The legal aid coordination meeting was rounded off with deliberations aimed at improving results of the legal aid delivery. During the deliberations, Mrs. Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu in one of her contributions stated the importance of efficient communication and linkages between the lawyers and stakeholders on the SAFE project “to mitigate challenges on the legal aid component, it is imperative to involve the legal aid focused stakeholders in every step of the way during legal aid delivery”, she said.

The SAFE project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and is implemented by Avocats Sans Frontières France in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association and the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organization.

 

Signed: Angela Uwandu, Country Director, Avocats Sans Frontiéres France, Nigeria. 

 

For further enquiries please contact:

ASF France Communication Officer, Nigeria

+234 (0)7013286982 | communication.nigeria@avocatssansfrontieres-france.org

 

This project is co- funded by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement. The  contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of ASF France and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the Donors.