Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) envisions a genuinely democratic Nigeria, where the well-being of the vast majority of citizens is the central concern of both the government and the governed.

CHRICED is a Nigerian non-profit, non-partisan, and a knowledge-driven platform of active citizens working for the promotion of human rights, rule of law, democracy & accountability. They use democratic governance to safeguard rights.

They are committed to the advancement of a democratic, representative, and inclusive political culture in Nigeria. The key vehicle of their philosophy is that civic education dissemination is cardinal to the empowerment of the citizens.

Since the advent of Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation in 1999, citizens have struggled to get their voices heard in the political process. Contrary to expectations, the disengagement of the military from the political space did not automatically translate to genuine democracy. The authoritarian character of the civilian political elite, who took the reins from the military has robbed citizens of their voice and denied them the space to participate in the political and governance processes. Although the ritual of periodic elections gave the impression that the people were deciding those who lead them, the electoral process, has been characterized by impunity.

Consequently, the sovereign voice of the electorate has been serially suppressed by the political class due to the problems presented by the reality of a democracy without a full complement of democrats. Governance has suffered severely from this lack of a real democratic ethos; this has precipitated unbridled corruption and further alienated citizens.

They are convinced that these threats to democracy and good governance cannot be addressed by despair or apathy and are of the considered position that citizens need to get into space and push to change the direction of their country. Therefore, they serve as a platform to canalize and activate the aspirations of citizens for the ideals and values of democracy and good governance. 

CHRICED promotes understanding and commitment of citizens and groups to the ideals, values and principles of democracy. It enhances citizens understanding lest they become cynical, apathetic, or simply withdraw from political life when their expectations are not met. This is based on our firm belief of the critical role of citizens and groups as the driver and sustainer of democracy. Without the active involvement of citizens in political life, the power and legitimacy of government are questioned and democracy and democratic culture will be threatened.