Empowering Voices, Protecting Rights
Championing Human Rights Across Africa
Global Rights stands at the forefront of human rights advocacy, working tirelessly to uplift marginalized communities and ensure justice for all.
About Global Rights
Global Rights, is an international organization birthed from the pursuit of justice, equality, and human rights. For over four decades, we have championed the rights of underserved communities across more than 20 countries, empowering individuals and amplifying grassroots voices to challenge injustice and foster lasting social change. Our commitment to universal human rights is unwavering, underpinned by the belief that access to justice is the cornerstone of a fair and equitable society.
Our Core Beliefs
Guiding Principles of Global Rights
At Global Rights, we believe that human rights cultures are nurtured by individuals and communities whose rights are at risk or unrecognized. Our work is strengthened through collaboration with allied organizations, driven by creativity and integrity. We are committed to equality and diversity, ensuring that our efforts lead to sustainable social and legal change. We focus on building the capacity of community-based organizations, training local communities on their rights, documenting human rights violations, facilitating stakeholder dialogues, and raising awareness through media. Our thematic focus aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to create an equitable world through collective efforts.
Our Approach to Human Rights Advocacy
Step 1
Step 1: Capacity Building
We empower community-based organizations, media, and government entities through comprehensive training on human rights issues.
Step 2
Step 2: Legal Education
We educate local communities about their legal and human rights to ensure they are well-informed and can advocate for themselves.
Step 3
Step 3: Monitoring and Documentation
We meticulously monitor and document human rights violations to hold perpetrators accountable and inform our advocacy efforts.
Meet Our Board
Our Advisory Board
Dr. Chidi Odinkalu
Mr. Olakunle Ajagbe
Ayo Abraham
Abiodun Baiyewu
Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido
Audu Maikori
Maryam Aliko Mohammed
Ms. Megan Chapman
Chair
Dr. Chidi Odinkalu
Dr. Odinkalu is a lawyer and till recently chaired the Governing Council of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, in addition to serving as senior legal officer for the Africa Program of the Open Society Justice Initiative. Dr. Odinkalu is widely published on diverse subjects of international law, international economic and human rights law, public policy, and political economy affecting African countries. He is frequently called upon to advise multilateral and bilateral institutions on Africa-related policy, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and the World Economic Forum.
Odinkalu has extensive networks across Africa built up over several years of working for human rights and social justice on the continent. He is associated with several non-governmental and academic institutions within and outside Africa. Among other affiliations, Odinkalu is a member of the Human Rights Advisory Council of the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs, of the Boards of the Fund for Global Human Rights and of the International Refugee Rights Initiative. He is also the founder of the Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) at the Nigerian Bar and member of the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Vice Chair
Mr. Olakunle Ajagbe
Mr. Ajagbe who is a trustee of Global Rights, is a Partner in the law firm of Aidan Partners, where he heads its Corporate & Commercial practice and where he additionally heads its India Group. Mr. Ajagbe has variously acted for and advised Nigerian and foreign businesses, public and private sector entities on legal best practices and strategy. At other times, he has advised on numerous capital market transactions including a recent listing on the European Stock Exchange. Listed in the International Who’s Who Legal, ‘Kunle is an occasional author and columnist on legal issues, volunteer facilitator and resource person for the Fate Foundation, the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse and the Consumer Advocacy Forum. He is both a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
Treasurer
Ayo Abraham
Ayo Abraham is the CEO and Managing Partner at Ayo Abraham & Associates Certified Public Accountants. A US Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant, and Certified Information Technology Professional, he has over 30 years’ experience in strategic financial leadership.
His most recent work experience includes consultancy at the World Bank Group and senior finance executive positions at global Non-Profit organizations.
With a B.S in Accounting, Master in Business Administration, and a Master of Science degree in Taxation, he is a collaborative, servant leader with global perspective.
Executive Director
Abiodun Baiyewu
Abiodun Baiyewu coordinates Global Rights’ programs and specifically works on Access to Justice, Women’s Rights, Natural Resources and Human Rights, and Security and Human Rights programs from their Abuja office. Her work focuses on programs that address governance failures that exacerbate the disenfranchisement and the violations of the rights of the poor and marginalized, women and victims of discrimination.
Before joining Global Rights, she worked with an array of organizations including the Negotiation and Conflict Management Group, the O’Neill Institute for Global and National Health Law, the Center for African Policy and Peace Strategy, and the American Center for International Labor Solidarity.
Abiodun is the Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the African Coalition for Corporate Accountability, Chair of Justice Empowerment Initiative and a member of the governing board of Annies’ Place.
she was also a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow in the Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa Program at Georgetown University. In addition she is a writer, an accredited mediator, dispute resolution trainer, and an HIV/AIDS youth counselor.
Member/Trustee
Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido
Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido is a Poetess and co-founder of Whole WoMan Network, a Leadership, Empowerment and Advocacy social enterprise for African women and youths. She is trained as an Electrical Engineer and as a leadership consultant, with certifications in multiple modalities –Strategic Intervention, NLP, EQ, Behavioral re-patterning, Conscious advocacy and Change Management. Her consulting services cut across Government agencies, Corporations, Individuals and NGOs.
In partnership with Praxis Magazine online, Juliet ‘Kego is also the visionary behind Poetry4Change Africa; -a dynamic platform to support African poets and spoken word artists, through grants, scholarships and trainings. Juliet ‘Kego has several years of fieldwork on how rape culture, in particular, sexual abuse in the grey zones, affects women participation in leadership and governance, in permissive, patriarchal African cultures. Her poem – “Today, I will not bow” has been translated into several languages and performed by students globally, to raise awareness about issues that affect women and girls.
Member/Trustee
Audu Maikori
Audu Maikori is a Nigerian lawyer, entrepreneur, social activist, public speaker and creative industry professional. He is the founder and Group CEO of the Chocolate City Entertainment. Apart from his very successful music label career, Mr. Maikori has received commendations for his work in developing the youth at several global forums, and has travelled widely speaking on entrepreneurship and youth development.
Member/Trustee
Maryam Aliko Mohammed
Maryam Aliko Mohammed is Chief Operating Officer at Modalali and Independent Non-Executive Director at Nestle Nigeria Plc. She is an accomplished professional with over 12 years in senior management positions, and leadership of over 200 employees. Her wealth of human resource experience in both private and public sector, manufacturing, education services, oil and gas makes for empathetic understanding of the challenges of managing diverse groups.
She holds MBA with specializations in Marketing Management and Human Resource Management by the Cardiff Business School and a certification in Coaching from the University of Cambridge, UK specializing in Executive Leadership and developmental Coaching. A member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and the Chartered Institute of Coaching and Mentoring in Nigeria and a visiting lecturer of Leadership and Ethics at the Kaduna Business School.
Member/Trustee
Ms. Megan Chapman
Ms. Chapman a trustee of Global Rights, is a lawyer and the Co-Director at the Justice Empowerment Initiative, which she co-founded in 2012. She helped to build community-based paralegal programs and supported strategic human rights litigation in Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Nigeria, where she has worked since 2011, she is seeking sustainable ways to bring skills and resources directly to poor communities, which also led her to found the Community Legal Support Initiative.
Key Thematic Areas
Business and Human Rights
We recognize the impact of business activities on human rights, and we advocate for corporate accountability and responsibility. Through research, advocacy, and partnerships, we strive to ensure that business practices prioritize human rights and adhere to ethical standards.
As a focal area of our work at Global Rights, we believe that businesses must uphold human rights principles internally and in their service to the public. Private interests can often prioritize profiteering over the common interest of the citizens, especially so in an environment that abuses workers’ rights, and suppresses their voices. Unable to seek redress without the requisite access to justice mechanisms, employees are often left at the mercy of powerful organizations. This is particularly true for countries in the global south where there is inadequate regulation of the business/private sector and no ombudsman to take up workers’ interests.
We also recognize the millions of people whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by corporate activities and as such, we work to ensure businesses act with due diligence to avoid infringing on the rights of others and to address any such negative impacts in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Global Rights brings private, government, media and civil society interests to work together towards promoting healthy business practices that uphold human dignity in the business environment, checks government overreach in stifling businesses’ participation in and support of the civic space, while also ensuring effective government regulation to protect citizens’ interests.
Civic Space Strengthening – SDG 17
We are committed to safeguarding and expanding civic space, recognizing its vital role in promoting democracy and enabling citizen participation. Through initiatives aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 17, we work to protect civil liberties, foster inclusive governance, and empower citizens to engage in democratic processes.
Globally, there have been retrogressive shifts in civic freedoms, and an increasing encroachment on the civic space in a number of countries. Despotic governments have sought to silence the voices of activists and groups perceived to demand accountability (in particular, human rights, governance and anticorruption activists and organizations) through draconian legislations, arbitrary arrests, and other tactics which have created anti-democratic environments that are hostile to human rights.
Global Rights works side by side with communities and activists to challenge barriers to their ownership of the civic space and participatory governance. We engage civil society organizations, the media, and everyday citizens through expressive art forums, platforms for dialogues and social media to create and sustain platforms for joint problem-solving and ensuring that the voices of indigent, disenfranchised and marginalized populations are heard and recognized everywhere where it matters the most.
We are also working on a project to deploy strategies for increasing access to justice and promoting credible, peaceful, democratic processes in North-West Nigeria.
Equitable Resource Governance (SDGs 11, 12 & 13)
We recognize the critical importance of sustainable resource management for the well-being of communities and the planet. Through initiatives aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, and 13, we advocate for transparent, accountable, and inclusive resource governance practices that prioritize environmental sustainability and social justice.
Under this thematic focus, our goal is to foster participatory governance between all stakeholders to improve the effective governance of complex ecosystems.
For extractive host communities, expectations of a better life are too often replaced by an overwhelming sense of injustice. They lose their lands and livelihoods, grapple with pollution affecting their environment and health, see women disproportionately affected, and have little or no say in the processes that determine if and how their resource rich lands will be exploited. Their compounding frustrations are often expressed through violence, contributing to increased insecurity.
Global Rights therefore partners with civil society organizations and extractive host communities to strengthen their ability to engage and demand accountability in the extractive industry as well as prevent, monitor and document human rights violations and abuses, and to design and implement engagement and advocacy strategies with the government, companies, and other identified stakeholders.
Human Security & Access to Remedies (SDG 16, 3, 4,5, 6. 10,11)
Engendering justice for all, and social resilience by strengthening institutions, accountability mechanisms, and promoting inclusive governance
Women's Rights and Gender Equality (SDG 5)
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. We work tirelessly to advance women’s rights and promote gender equality in all spheres of life, striving to dismantle barriers and empower women and girls to reach their full potential. Through our flagship initiative Rape Is A Crime (RIAC) we work to intervene on the prevention of SGBV and protection of survivors/victims including facilitating access to remedy. Women’s Rights and Gender Equality will continue to be a cross-cutting theme and a natural consequence of all other thematic areas.
Strategic Communications and Advocacy
Effective communication is key to driving social change and advancing human rights. Through innovative communication strategies such as awareness creating Stage Plays like Beere, Mata and Godiya to ensure that the monumental contributions of Nigerian women in shaping the course of Nigeria’s political history and advancing the course of justice, security and good governance are adequately documented to highlight the strength and resilience of a vital group in the Nigerian populace. It is our hope that artistic expressions such as this will help create a more politically aware population that actively participates in nation building and good governance. In 2018, Global Rights introduced the yearly screening of the Stage biopic – Béerè across different cities to raise a movement of a politically conscious citizenry for the advancement of democracy and good governance. Since, the first screening in 2018, Beere has sustained a yearly screening with different captivating scripts.
As part of our strategic communication agenda, we have produced several explainer videos including “We No Go Gree O! 101”, “Gangs of Naija”, “We move”, “Sexuality and abuse of Children” and so many other videos and social media skits to further drive our passion to create a politically citizenry to challenge stereotypes, and mobilize support for our cause.
National & Regional Cooperation
Because we believe in the power of collaboration and cooperation to drive meaningful change, we intentionally took the lead in creating some key national and regional cooperation initiatives including:
African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA)
Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against Women (LACVAW)
Voluntary Principles Initiative (VPI)
In November 2013, Global Rights facilitated the creation of the African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA), to promote African cooperation for the promotion of community rights and good governance at regional and international levels. Today, ACCA’S membership has grown to 132 organizations from 32 African countries.
To advocate for meaningful legislative reforms that effectively address the pervasive issues of violence against women and girls, ensuring their rights are protected and their voices are heard in all spheres of society.
Fostering a culture of respect for human rights within the extractive industry is essential, and this can be achieved through meaningful dialogue and collaborative efforts among all stakeholders involved.
We are also working actively to expand our operational base to other countries especially in West Africa to foster inter regional collaboration for good governance and the rule of law. We have registered our presence in Ghana and are working to expand our reach into Cameroun in the nearest future.
What Our Beneficiaries Say
★★★★★
“Women now understand that they have a voice in the home front, their voice has given them the power to make decisions thereby impacting their lives at the household level, also, they have been contributing to their homes and they now understand from the religious perspective that women are not slaves, community participation is key in the programming of Global Rights.”
– Kastina-KiI-IP-GALS beneficiary
★★★★★
Many training and partners don’t know support, but we have never seen one as feasible as Global Rights. You bring in people themselves, engage them to come up with their issues, and also engage them to come up with solutions to their problems. This is a very community-friendly approach that we need. We want it to sustain so that we will touch more lives.
Alhaji Sanni Umar Jabbi (Sarkin Yaki Gagi)
★★★★★
I want to appreciate Global Rights for this intervention, most especially in our communities. A lot of women and children have been abused, but without awareness, they felt as if there was nothing they could do. But because we have created a lot of awareness today, there is peace in our community.
Clement Solomon (GBV team secretary, Zonkwa CDC)
★★★★★
Our husbands have changed their perspective about the way they view the role of women in the community. Before now, they wouldn’t even allow us to speak to the neighbour.”
Katsina GALS Beneficiary
★★★★★
Global Rights training we had in Oyo State came at the appropriate time, opening most of the organizations to regulate their structures and educate them on compliance with a community of practice. The training strengthened the capacity of both human and material resources for sustainability.
Christiana Bolanle Omidiji, Peace Heritage Foundation Executive Director, Oyo State.
★★★★★
I had the privilege of participating in the workshop on ‘Strengthening a Community of Practice to Improve CSO Regulatory Environment in Nigeria’ facilitated by Global Rights. The workshop was incredibly insightful, providing a platform for CSOs to get equipped with the regulatory compliance guidelines.
Uduak Nyaetok (Executive Director, Milestone Initiative for Human Rights and Empowerment)
Get Involved with Global Rights
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