Through the years of its development, the concept of human rights has been imbued with the quality of universality. This has consequently given rise to attempts at harmonisation of the specifics of human rights, with specific efforts targeted at creating a uniform standard or benchmark for its evaluation. As these attempts are made, many jurisdictions, particularly in Africa, fail to meet the benchmark largely set by the western world, thus leading to allegations of human rights abuses or disrespect.
This study essentially investigates the jurisprudential standpoint of human rights within the African continent, building on the foundation of an African jurisprudence as distinct from a universal approach to the study of human rights. It attempts to determine the discrepancies and limitations in the concept of human rights as universally accepted and sustainable under African ethical and jurisprudential considerations.