The National Human Rights Commission and the Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria have provided financial assistance to 11 victims of human rights violations.

The programme was organised by NHRC in collaboration with Taiwan in Abuja.

According to NHRC executive secretary Tony Ojukwu, the commission’s mandate included social justice, inclusion, and empowerment.

He said that the programme goes beyond donating material resources to those survivors of human rights violations, but also demonstrates that, beyond legal services, the commission can support those affected.

Similarly, the chief of the Taiwanese Mission to Nigeria, Andy Yih-Ping Liu, who also serves as the representative of the Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria, expressed joy for the collaboration.

He stated that, although there is no diplomatic relationship between Taiwan and Nigeria, there is an initiative to collaborate in various areas.

Mr Liu said economically and socially, Taiwan has been regarded as one of the most successful developing nations.

“We can help not just for economic development, but also for women’s empowerment, youth development, agricultural development, and also for natural disaster prevention and early warning systems,” Mr Liu stated.

According to the Taiwanese diplomat, Taiwan is a small island, probably seven times larger than Lagos.

“We have no Nigerian resources at all. You have everything that we don’t have.

“We have earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanoes in China. But not in here; probably you have rain and floods. But in Taiwan, we have much more suffering from natural disasters than in Nigeria.

“How can we evolve into the best technology in the world? How can we hold ourselves to the quality of the technology? We are slowly accelerating the flow into education,” Mr Liu explained.

Mr Liu noted that illiteracy in Taiwan is less than two per cent, with 98 per cent.

In their goodwill messages, the founder of the Thelma Lion Foundation, Ifeoma Agu, and Dorothy Njamanze of the Dorothy Njamanze Foundation expressed their joy and commended the two groups for their interest in assisting survivors of human rights abuse.

Ms Agu supported the programme with N100,000.

Nine persons received ₦100,000 each, while two received ₦50,000 each, totaling ₦1 million.

(NAN)