Foremost human rights advocate and legal scholar, Prof Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, has been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Anambra Man of the Year (AMTY) Awards in recognition of her decades of contributions to human rights advocacy, gender justice and legal reforms.
Ezeilo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, was nominated for her sustained efforts in promoting the rights of women, children and vulnerable persons in Nigeria and beyond.
The organisers said the nomination acknowledged her impact in advancing access to justice, combating human trafficking, and supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through advocacy and institutional reforms.
The Dean Emerita of the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, founded the Women Aid Collective (WACOL) and the Tamar Sexual Assault Referral Centre, organisations that have provided legal aid, shelter and psychosocial support to thousands of victims across the country.
Ezeilo currently serves as a member of the United Nations International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan and also chairs the Nigerian Bar Association committee on Justice Sector Reforms.
She has received several local and international honours, including the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), the BBC 100 Women recognition, and the National Human Rights Award.
Observers described her AMTY nomination as a recognition of her enduring contributions to legal scholarship, public service, and the protection of human rights in Nigeria and globally.