In a major step toward strengthening Nigeria’s international humanitarian law framework, the House of Representatives has advanced a bill seeking to repeal the decades-old Geneva Conventions Act, Cap. G3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and replace it with a comprehensive, modern legal framework.
Sponsored by House Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, the proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Geneva Conventions Act, Cap. G3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Enact the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Act, 2026” (HB. 2825), passed Second Reading during plenary on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
The bill fully incorporates into Nigerian domestic law the four Geneva Conventions adopted on August 12, 1949, as well as the two pivotal Additional Protocols of June 8, 1977.
By updating the statutory framework, the bill aligns national legislation with modern standards governing armed conflict, the protection of non-combatants, humanitarian personnel, and prisoner-of-war treatment.
Re-enacting the statute provides Nigerian courts, security agencies, and defense institutions with explicit, updated statutory tools to enforce compliance with global humanitarian obligations.
Leading the debate, Hon. Ihonvbere emphasized that updating Nigeria’s humanitarian laws is essential to keeping pace with evolving international legal norms and contemporary conflict challenges. The bill ensures that Nigeria’s commitments under treaty obligations are fully operationalized across domestic legal and security architectures
Following its successful passage through Second Reading, HB. 2825 was referred to the Committee on Treaties, Protocol and Agreement for further legislative actions.
