By: Muhammad Abdul-Wahab and Ambali Waleeyah
Professor Azubike Chinwuba Onuora-Oguno, an esteemed scholar of International Human Rights Law, delivered the 264th inaugural lecture at the University of Ilorin on the 29th of August, 2024. The lecture, titled “Disorder in the Order of Economic and Social Rights Jurisprudence in Nigeria,” highlighted the critical importance of the right to education as a cornerstone of human rights and societal development.
Prof. Onuora-Oguno, a prominent figure in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, of the University; emphasized that the right to education is not merely an aspiration but a fundamental human right that should not be subject to any form of limitation. Drawing on his extensive research, he argued that education serves as the foundation upon which all other rights are built, holding the potential to address and mitigate the myriad challenges that Nigeria faces today.
“Education, in my research, is represented as a classical right on which all other rights must be built upon. It holds the magic wand that can end the various spates of crimes that bedevil our nation, Nigeria,” Prof. Onuora-Oguno stated emphatically.
Referencing Section 29(1)(a) of the South African Constitution of 1996, Prof. Onuora-Oguno pointed out that it guarantees the right to basic education and mandates the state to take necessary legislative and other measures to ensure its progressive realization. He underscored that this right should not merely grant access to education but must ensure that education is effectively provided to all.
Moreover, Prof. Onuora-Oguno highlighted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), specifically Article 26, which asserts that everyone has the right to education. This article mandates that education should be free at the elementary and fundamental stages and should be directed toward the full development of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Recognizing the prior right of parents to choose the type of education that their children receive.
In analyzing these provisions, he identified a three-fold approach to understanding the right to education: recognizing education as a right, defining the content of education, and acknowledging the role of parents in the educational process.
He called on the Nigerian judiciary to play a crucial role in ensuring that the right to education is protected and upheld; also emphasized the importance of institutions such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in driving the realization of this right.
Prof. Onuora-Oguno’s lecture serves as a call to action for all stakeholders to recognize and uphold the right to education as central to the advancement of human rights and the overall development of Nigeria.
