Legal Defence and Assistance Project

Mission: To advance human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Nigeria through provision of public defender service, raising awareness on human rights among the people, and advocating for change of the policies, attitudes and practices among public officials in order to increase the respect for human rights, improved access to justice and good governance in Nigeria.

Profile: The Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) is a non-governmental organization of lawyers and Law professional, engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Nigeria. It has observed status with the Africa commission on human and peoples’ Rights.

LEDAP provides free legal representation to poor and vulnerable victims of human rights violations. It undertakes programmes to raise awareness of the legal community in Nigeria of international human rights norms and how they can be integrated into the system of administration of justice in the country. It works with the Directors of Public Prosecutors to improve administration of criminal justice in the country. It also works to promote and protect rights of women under its domestic violence and reproductive health programmes. It promotes rights of children through legal and other support to children in conflict with the law, and seeks to advance the rule of law and good governance through impact litigation and social advocacy. It focuses on improving the legal and human rights framework for economic and social justice through its social security project as well as on human security under its Impunity Project and Death Penalty Project.

History: Founded in 1997 by a group of pro bono lawyers working to protect and support political prisoners, the organization has grown to 1700 members across Nigeria. It has zonal coordinators and office in Oshogbo, Jos, Kano, Awka and Port Harcourt, with national office in Lagos. Its Organization structure includes management board and the administration headed by the National Coordinator, Chino Obiagwu, and Executive Programmes Manager, Adaobi Egboka.

Priorities: projects place priority on the situation of women, children and other vulnerable groups. Thematically, the priority of the organisation is access to justice (criminal justice), human rights (women’s human rights), human security (domestic violence, torture and the death penalty).

Affiliations: LEDAP has observer status with the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. It is the head of advocacy team of the Nigeria Coalition on the International Criminal Court. It is an organisation member of International Association of Prosecutors. (IAP). LEDAP is the head of Nigeria Coalition against Violence in Elections (CAVE), and manages the “Blue Ribbon – Network of men against domestic violence. LEDAP has close working relationship with Amnesty International, Law Society of England and Wales, Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, among other organisations.

Organization’s policies: LEDAP is an equal opportunities organisation, and maintains workplace policy that guarantees gender equity and gender equality both in staff recruitment, project management, selection of beneficiaries/target groups, and hiring of consultants. It also has policies protecting staff and members from discrimination on any other basis including and relating to HIV/AIDS, conflict of interest, and remunerations.

Management Board: LEDAP is managed by a board of management, who oversee the policy development, programmes development and deployment of good practices in the organisation. The management board members are hands-on persons living and working in Nigeria, who share the vision of LEDAP and committed to its objectives. They work voluntarily and are not paid salary or allowances.

Tenure of board members: The tenure of board members is 5 years from the date of appointment. However, any member can resign his or her appointment at any time, either for personal reasons or for reasons relating to the organization’s conflict of interest policy.