Managing Human Rights Compliance in Nigerian Public Hospitals: Administrative Frameworks and Patient Rights

This study examines the administrative frameworks governing human rights compliance in Nigerian public hospitals, with particular focus on the operationalization of patients' rights to dignity, privacy, informed consent, and non-discrimination. Nigeria's National Health Act 2014 and the Patient Bill of Rights provide a normative foundation, yet their implementation within public health institutions remains inconsistent. The research adopts a professional practice-focused methodology, employing structured interviews with hospital administrators, clinical nurses, patient welfare officers, and legal compliance units at three federal teaching hospitals in Lagos, Enugu, and Kano. Secondary data from the Federal Ministry of Health's annual assessment reports and National Human Rights Commission complaints registers are also reviewed. Findings reveal significant institutional gaps in complaint management systems, inadequate training on patient rights for clinical staff, and the absence of independent patient rights advocates within most facilities. The study further highlights how structural underfunding generates indirect human rights violations through denial of timely and quality care. Drawing on comparative practices from South African and Kenyan public hospital governance, the research proposes a model human rights compliance management framework adaptable to Nigerian federal and state hospitals. Recommendations include mandatory patient rights committees in all public hospitals, dedicated compliance officers, and annual external audits of rights compliance practices. Keywords: patient rights, health administration, human rights compliance, public hospitals, Nigeria.