NHRDN Elects Women’s Rights Advocate Miriam Menkiti as Chairperson 

The Nigerian Human Rights Defenders Network (NHRDN) has elected Miriam Menkiti, founder and executive director of Women Information Network (WINET), as its chairperson at its first Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The meeting, held on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at The Colossus Lagos Hotel in Ikeja, brought members together to review the Network’s activities, establish its governance framework and discuss priorities for strengthening the protection of human rights defenders across Nigeria.

Miriam  is a journalist, communications expert and human rights activist who leads WINET, a women-led, non-profit organisation based in Enugu State. The organisation works to promote and protect the rights of women, girls and persons with disabilities through human rights education, advocacy, information dissemination and initiatives addressing sexual and gender-based violence.

According to information published by WINET, Miriam holds a master’s degree in Mass Communication from the National Open University of Nigeria, a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a postgraduate diploma in Public Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology. She previously served as chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Enugu State chapter, from 1999 to 2001.

Partnership for Justice serves as the NHRDN secretariat, bringing together human rights defenders and civil society organisations to promote a safe, enabling environment for human rights work through collective advocacy, solidarity, and mutual support.

Miriam’s election comes as the Network works to strengthen its governance and collective response to challenges confronting human rights defenders across Nigeria.