Hate Speech Is Direct Attack On Democratic Values — NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission has warned against the rising spread of hate speech, particularly as it takes new and more dangerous trends through digital technologies mostly powered by artificial intelligence.

Executive secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu who raised the alarm on Wednesday at a round table organised for journalists and stakeholders in commemoration of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech in Abuja, described the situation as a direct attack on democratic value and social cohesion.

Ojukwu said hate speech does not only violates the right to dignity of the human person, but also impedes on one’s right to be free from discrimination as well as participate in public life without fear of suppression or violence.

The executive secretary revealed that NHRC has taken significant steps to confront hate speech and its multi-polar challenges over the years.

“In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, the Commission launched the Mobilising Voters for Elections (MOVE) Project, which focused on promoting access, participation, and accountability. Recognising the toxic role of hate speech in electoral processes, the MOVE Project identified it as a major obstacle to voter inclusion,” Ojukwu said.

He added that the Commission also established the National Hate Speech Register to record incidents and trends across the country, allowing for real-time documentation and response.

“We have conducted specialised training for our staff nationwide to monitor, and report hate speech across both traditional and digital media”, he revealed.

In recognising the centrality of the media in combating hate speech, Ojukwu said the Commission has issued an advisory to journalist on the role of media in countering and reporting hate speech to help in recognising the powerful influence of the media, and the need to strengthen responsible journalism.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said this year’s theme:“Hate Speech and Artificial Intelligence”, charged citizens to examine the growing intersection between technology and human rights and challenges everyone to reflect on the double-edged nature of AI as both a tool for development and a potential amplifier of harmful narratives.

Ojukwu commended the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, and the entire United Nations system in Nigeria for their continued support and commitment to advancing human rights in the country.

He further reiterated that his office as the lead institution charged with the protection and promotion of human rights in Nigeria, In April 2025, issued a major Advisory Opinion on the Protection of the Right to Freedom of Expression in Nigeria, in response to concerns about the Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024, particularly Section 24 which was criticised for restricting freedom of expression.

In her remark, the Human Right Adviser to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms Ajuwa Kufour revealed that hate speech is on the rise worldwide, particularly more on the social media where a lot of misinformation are peddled daily.

Kufour who said tackling hate speech has become a great priority for her organisation, also said they were partnering with the NHRC to tackle the surge in hate speech both online and offline.

“Hate speech is on the rise worldwide. It is more on social media; social media has given a lot of misinformation”.

“Hate speech has been turned into a business, it is used as a weapon to destroy. The mix between hate speech and AI is very dangerous. So tackling hate speech has become a great priority for the UN”, she stressed.