CNF Our Strategies

CNF Our Strategies

• Category: Improving legal procedural efficiency in Nigeria
• Date 05-09-2017

We engage in the following activities to achieve our objectives:

1. Advocate for reform of Judicial Laws & Policies: we presses those in and with power, authority and influence for positive change in our laws/constitution, judicial procedures especially our criminal justice system, policing policies etc.  Our data, investigations and evidences collected are our means to this end. Engaging the right advocacy strategies, we gain access to influential policy-makers and convince them to use their influence to curb human right abuses in the Nigerian society.

 

2. Investigative Journalism & Activism: We provide evidence-based analysis and propose practical solutions by drawing on leading academic research, international and comparative material, and lived experiences of citizens   who have had dealings with the Nigeria justice system in different ways. In collaborate with decision-makers and other key actors in the Nigeria legal institution, we work towards using our reports to inform, influence and achieve legal reform. We independently investigate human rights violations, where possible document human rights abuses as they are occurring, collect credible evidence, expose them in the media, and advocate for improvements, we the sole aim of creating a positive change in Nigeria.

 

3. Strategic Advocacy: We elevate the voices of those who do not have the power to speak for themselves. We fight for the vulnerable by engaging the powerful and the influential in their defence when necessary. We strive to build political support to facilitate the achievement of expected outcomes. Finally we focus on issues strategically, selecting projects where we can secure concrete change in people’s lives including the rights of those undergoing human right abuse and injustice especially the indigent & vulnerable, prisoners, refugees and IDPs in Nigeria.

 

4. Legal Support & Medical Mission for prisoners: We acknowledge that daily survival/sustenance is a challenge for the average Nigerian. This challenge is worsened by incarceration. Nigeria correctional centres (prisons) are saturated with inmates who have spent months and years in incarceration without their case tried even once because they cannot afford to hire the services of legal practitioners. The inmates also face avoidable health crisis compounded by malnutrition, depression & degeneration of mental health resulting of hopelessness etc. To this end we have struck collaboration with Nigeria Bar Association, International Federation of Female Lawyers, Nigeria Medical Association, Nigeria Nurses and midwifery council etc to render free legal and medical interventions in Nigeria Correctional Centres (Prisons). 

 

5. Crisis & Conflict Resolution: To achieve this, our staff & researchers/investigators go to the scene of crisis/abuse/violations to interview victims and witnesses, examine physical evidence, identify those responsible for wrong doing, and develop/recommend the most effective resolutions & interventions. Where necessary we use a combination of witness testimony paired with photos, video, forensic tools, technological evidence, statistical analysis, and satellite imagery (if possible) to piece together as much as possible a complete and accurate a picture of conflicts in order to achieve best outcomes in crisis/conflict resolution. Our aim is to make our findings go directly to people with the power to support them to implement sustainable conflict resolution.

 

6. Strategic Planning & Partnership: We develop sets of priorities through consultation with the public and partner organizations, consider the severity of crisis situations, human rights violations and abuses taking place (e.g. in Nigeria prisons), the number of affected people etc, to galvanize necessary resources to be  able to achieve positive impact on the situation.

 

7. Robust structure & policies to protect our staff & organization: fighting injustice and defending victims of injustice/human right abuses is a very risky venture especially in Nigeria where perpetrators engage in all sorts of illegalities (including assassinations) to fight back. We therefore seek to eventually put in place robust policies and strategies to protect our staff and origination. Especially considering that our work will at some point demands that we testify as expert witnesses in tribunals, where those responsible for atrocities are being tried.

 

8. Credibility is key to the survival of CNF: we are bound to create enemies, there is a saying that ‘If you want to be loved by everyone, simply sell ice cream’. You cannot lead or fight injustice without opposition. Investigative journalism into wrongdoings is one of the strong weapons for our survival. Deep and careful investigation/research provides us with an unparalleled lens on the problems we tackle. We compulsorily stake our credibility on the facts we report, devoting great effort to ensuring the accuracy and fairness of every word we publish including readiness to testify as expert witnesses in tribunals, where those responsible for atrocities/abuses are being tried.

 

9. Media Mechanism: We actively collaborate with local and global media outlets with sophisticated in-house media team and targets to create tens of media products annually in both English and local Nigeria languages with wide distribution/circulation. We target to achieve 15 million social media followers in the first five years of our operation. Our volunteers (mainly experts and advocates) are frequently interviewed by a large variety of national news outlets. We hold informative events & workshop on our work and related issues to keep the public informed.

 

10. Humanitarian Iintervention: Provision of palliatives (food, medicines etc) to the most vulnerable, primarily prisoners, refugees and victims of abuse is one of our core objectives. We are building capacity for emergency response in crisis situations, prison intervention (de-congestion, medical and legal outreach to prisoners etc). We support victims of institutional abuse, those wrongly imprisoned, indigent prisoners to access justice and provide them free counselling services.

 

11. Raise Funds: This is needed to financial sustain CNF operations such as procuring of palliative and outreach materials, investigative equipment such as video recording equipment etc. To this end, we shall also continue to seek the collaboration with grant and donor agencies, companies & business organisations and private individuals locally and internationally to support our work. 

 

12. Formidable Volunteer Base: Developing a formidable volunteer’s team to support the operations of CNF is crucial. This will be maximally achieved through strategic partnership with other organizations and intuitions

 

13. Continuous Profession Development of our staff/volunteers: We acknowledge the critical need for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of our staff and volunteers in the areas of human right activism, investigative journalism, conflict resolution, advocacy etc. As a result, we shall intentionally commit required effort and resources in the training and continue professional development of our team to ensure efficient service delivery via for instance learning about and deepen their understanding of the international human rights law and the UN human rights system, the international framework to combat abuse, racial discrimination and related intolerance. Through CPD programmes, we shall strengthen staff & volunteers skills in developing project proposals, delivering presentations and submitting information to human rights mechanisms.

 

14. Strategic Partnership: to achieve maximum impact, we need to maximize cooperation and minimize resistance. As a result, we shall partner with all relevant stakeholders and other human right/civil organizations including other NGOs, churches, companies, business organisations & influential persons in the Nigeria Society.