COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS AND REPERCUSSIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA: AN APPRAISAL

Abstract

The corona virus is a global pandemic as declared by the World Health Organization in December, 2019. Nigeriawas not spared the unwavering effects of this global threat. The pandemic heightened the economic, security and goodgovernance challenges facing the country. The preparedness or otherwise of government to face this pandemic was anissue in the face of a dilapidated health sector, corruption, arms conflict etc. All these coupled with the measuresadopted by the government to fight the global pandemic proved a direct affront on human rights in Nigeria. Thispaper looks into the various impacts of Covid-19 on human rights and the anti-human rights measures taken bygovernment to curb the pandemic. It proffered some alternative measures in the interest of human rights in the fightagainst COVID-19 in Nigeria. To achieve this feat, the paper explored secondary sources, internet sources andexisting international, regional and local laws on pandemic. At the end of this discourse, it concludes that humanrights supersedes political privileges and powers and must be respected at all times. Based on this fact, it recommendsthat all key players should ensure the emergency measures assumed by government in the COVID-19 responseconform to the international benchmark for human rights standards, amidst other things.