Awakening judicial consciousness toward the enforcement of Nigerian economic, social and cultural rights

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to sensitizeO judicial consciousness toward the enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights in Nigeria. The pertinent questions which the paper interrogates among others include: What are the objectives of economic, social and cultural rights? What are the impediments against the enforcement of these rights in Nigeria? How can the judiciary be sensitized to meeting the objectives of Nigerian economic, social and cultural rights? Stemming from these questions, the paper highlights major impediments to the enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights in Nigeria to include constitutional provision, corruption, absence of judicial activism and lack of commitment on the part of government to uphold the tenet and the intendment of economic, social and cultural rights as provided for in Chapter II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The paper argues for the practice of the concept of judicial independence and recommends among others for complete judicial independence and activism as antidotes to the challenges confronting the enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights in Nigeria in the interest of economy and social justice sustainability.