RI

GHTANDOBLIGATIONSOFCITIZENSOF
NI
GERIA/
EXAMINETHESIGNI
FICANCEOFRIGHTSAND
OBLI
GATIONSI
NNIGERIA.
Theri
ght
sandobli
gat
ionsofci
ti
zensinNi
geri
aplayacr
uci
alr
olei
n
shapi
ngt
henat
ion'
ssocial
andpoli
ti
call
andscape.

Ri
ght
sofCi
ti
zensi
nNi
ger
ia:
1.Rightt
oLife:
**Ever
yNigeri
anciti
zenhast
hef
undament
alr
ightt
oli
fe,
whichisprot
ectedbytheconsti
tut
ion.

2.Freedom ofExpr
essi
on:*
*Cit
izenshavetherighttoexpr
esst
hei
r
thoughtsandopini
onsfr
eelywi
thoutfearofcensorshi
p.

3.Rightt
oEducat
ion:
**Accesst
oeducat
ioni
safundament
alri
ght,
andt
he
governmenti
sobl
igat
edtoprovi
dequal
it
yeducat
ionf
ori
tsci
ti
zens.

4.RighttoEqual
it
y:*
*Citi
zensareent
it
ledtoequal
treat
mentbef
oret
hel
aw,
regardl
essofgender,et
hni
cit
y,orr
eli
gion.

5.Rightt
oWork:**Everyci
ti
zenhastheri
ghtt
oengagei
nanyl
awf
ul
occupati
onorbusinesstoear
nalivi
ng.

6.Rightt
oHealth:Cit
izenshavetheri
ghtt
oaccessheal
thcar
efaci
l
iti
esand
serv
icestoensuretheirwel
l-
being.

7.Fr
eedom ofAssociat
ion:
Theconst
it
utionguar
anteest
heri
ghtof
ci
ti
zenstof
reelyassoci
atewit
hother
s,formi
nggroupsoror
ganizat
ions.

8.Proper
tyRi
ghts:Ever
ycit
izenhast
herighttoownproper
ty,
andt
hel
aw
prot
ectsagai
nstunlawf
ulseizur
eordepr
ivati
onofpr
operty
.

9.Ri
ghtt
oPri
vacy:Ci
ti
zensareent
it
ledtopri
vacy
,andthei
rper
sonalspace
andcommuni
cati
onsshouldbeprot
ectedfr
om unwarr
antedi
ntr
usi
on.
10.Ri
ghttoI
nfor
mati
on:Ci
ti
zenshavetherightt
oaccessi
nformati
onhel
d
bypubl
icaut
hori
ti
es,
promot
ingtr
ansparencyandaccount
abil
i
ty.

11.Cultur
alandLinguist
icRight
s:Theconsti
tut
ionrecogni
zest
hecultur
al
andli
nguisti
cdiversi
tyofNigeri
a,ensur
ingt
hepr ot
ecti
onofvar
iouscult
ural
pract
icesandlanguages.

12.Ri
ghtt
oaFairTri
al:
Inlegal
matt
ers,cit
izensar
eenti
tl
edtoafai
rand
i
mparti
alt
ri
al,
andthepresumpti
onofinnocenceunti
lpr
ovengui
l
tyi
s
uphel
d.

13.Rightt
oSocialSecur
it
y:Ci
ti
zenshavet
her i
ghttosoci
alsecur
it
y,
i
ncludingaccesst
obasicnecessi
ti
es,
heal
thcare,
andsupportint
imesof
need.

Obl
igat
ionsofCi
ti
zensi
nNi
ger
ia:
1.*
*Obedi
encetotheLaw:
**Ci
ti
zensar
eobl
i
gat
edt
oobeyandr
espectt
he
l
awsofthecountr
y.

2.**
PaymentofTaxes:
**Contr
ibuti
ngt
ot henat
ion'
sdev
elopment
,ci
ti
zens
areobl
i
gedtopaytaxesasrequir
edbylaw.

3.*
*Nat
ional
Def ense:
**I
nti
mesofneed,ci
ti
zensmaybecal
l
edupont
o
def
endt
henat i
ont hr
oughmil
i
tar
yorci
vil
i
anservi
ce.

4.*
*Ci
vi
cResponsi
bil
i
ty:
**Ci
ti
zensar
eex
pectedtopar
ti
cipat
eact
ivel
yin
ci
vi
cduti
es,
suchasvoti
ngandcommuni
tyserv
ice.

5.**
Respectf
orOther
s:**Iti
sanobli
gat
ionf
orci
ti
zenst
orespectt
he
ri
ghtsanddi
gnit
yofothers,f
ost
eri
ngaharmoni
oussoci
ety
.

6.Envi
ronment
al Responsi
bil
i
ty:
Citi
zensareobl
igat
edtocont
ri
but
eto
envir
onmentalsustai
nabil
i
tybyavoi
dingacti
vi
ti
esthathar
mtheecosy
stem.

7.Par
ti
cipat
ioni
nJur
yDut
y:I
nthel
egal
syst
em,
cit
izensmayber
equi
redt
o
ser
veonj
uri
es,
par
ti
cipat
ingi
ntheadmi
nist
rat
ionofj
ust
ice.

8.Respectf
orCult
ural
Diversi
ty:Gi
venNi
geri
a'
sdiver
secult
urall
andscape,
ci
ti
zensareobli
gedtorespectandappr
eci
atethecul
tur
aldi
ffer
ences
wit
hinthenati
on.

9.Promot
ionofNationalUni
ty:
Cit
izensplayarol
einpr
omoti
ngunityby
fost
eri
ngunder
standingandcoll
aborat
ionacrosset
hni
candrel
i
giousli
nes.

10.Anti
-Cor
rupt
ionEffort
s:Cit
izensareobli
gatedtoacti
velypart
ici
pat
ein
anti
-cor
rupt
ioni
nit
iat
ives,pr
omot inget
hicalbehav
iorandintegr
it
y .

11.Communi tyDevel
opment:Contr
ibutingtothebett
ermentofl
ocal
communi t
ies,ci
ti
zenshaveanobli
gationt opart
ici
pat
einproj
ect
sand
i
nit
iat
ivesthatenhancecommunitydev elopment.

12.PeacefulCoexi
stence:Ci
ti
zensareobli
gedtopromotepeacef
ul
coexi
stencebyresolvi
ngconfli
ctsamicabl
yandavoidi
ngacti
onsthatmay
l
eadtov i
olenceorunrest.

13.Educati
onandCiv
icAwar eness:Ci
ti
zenspl
ayarol
einpromoti
ng
educati
onandciv
icawareness,ensuri
nganinf
ormedandengaged
populace.

Si
gni
fi
canceofRi
ght
sandObl
igat
ions:
1.Soci
alHar
mony:Bal
anci
ngright
sandobl
i
gati
onspromotessoci
al
cohesi
onandhar
monywi t
hint
hediver
seNi
ger
iansoci
ety
.

2.Democr
ati
cGov er
nance:Ri
ght
sempowerci
ti
zenstopart
ici
patein
democr
ati
cprocesses,
ensuri
ngagov
ernmentt
hatrepr
esentsthei
r
i
nter
est
s.

3.RuleofLaw:Upholdi
ngri
ght
sandobli
gat
ionsr
einf
orcest
her
uleofl
aw,
creat
ingajustandaccount
abl
esoci
ety
.
4.EconomicDevel
opment
:Ri
ghtssuchast
her
ightt
oworkandobl
igat
ions
l
ikepayingt
axescont
ri
but
etoeconomicgr
owt
handdevel
opment.

5.Nati
onalI
denti
ty:
Recogni
zi
ngbothr
ight
sandobligat
ionsf
ostersa
senseofnat
ionali
dent
it
yandshar
edresponsi
bil
i
tyamongciti
zens.

6.HumanDi gni
ty:Protecti
ngri
ght
sandfulf
il
li
ngobli
gat
ionsenhancesthe
di
gnit
yofindivi
duals,creat
ingasoci
etyt
hatvaluest
hei
nherentworthof
ever
ycit
izen.

7.Social
Just
ice:
Therecognit
ionofri
ghtsandful
fi
ll
mentofobl
i
gations
contr
ibut
etothepur
suitofsocial
just
ice,
ensur
ingfai
rtr
eat
mentforall
.

8.Citi
zenEmpower
ment :
Rightsempowercit
izenst
oact
ivel
ypart
ici
pat
ein
decisi
on-maki
ngpr
ocesses,f
oster
ingasenseofempowermentand
i
nclusivi
ty.

9.Et
hicalGovernance:Bal
ancingri
ghtsandobl
i
gationsestabl
ishesa
fr
amewor kforethi
calgovernance,
promoti
ngaccountabi
li
tyand
tr
ansparency.

10.GlobalResponsibi
l
ity
:Upholdi
ngri
ght
sandf ulf
il
li
ngobligat
ions
posi
tionsNigeri
aasar esponsi
blegl
obal
cit
izen,contr
ibut
ingposit
ivel
yto
i
nternati
onalrel
ati
ons.

11.Incl
usi
veDevel
opment
:Thebalanceofright
sandobli
gat
ionsf
osters
i
nclusiv
edevel
opment,
ensuri
ngthatthebenefi
tsofpr
ogr
essareshared
acrossall
segment
sofsociet
y.

12.Adaptabi
l
itytoChange:Recognizi
ngandadapt
ingr
ight
sand
obli
gati
onstochangingsociet
alneedsenabl
esthenat
iont
onavi
gat
e
evol
vingchal
lengeseff
ecti
vely
.

13.GenderEquali
ty:Pr
otecti
ngandpromoti
ngtheri
ght
sofwomenand
ful
fi
ll
i
ngobligati
onsrel
atedtogenderequal
i
tycont
ri
but
etoamore
equi
tabl
eandj ustsoci
ety.
I
nsummar y,t
hedynamicinterpl
ayofr
ightsandobli
gati
onsfor
mst he
f
oundati
onforaresil
i
ent,
inclusi
ve,
andpr ogr
essi
vesociet
yinNiger
ia,
r
efl
ect
ingtheevol
vingneedsandaspir
ationsofit
scit
izens.