The Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative (EGLAI) has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across Nigeria to strengthen internal governance and embrace self-regulation to remain credible and effective in holding the government accountable. This demand comes as part of a broader effort to address challenges facing the civil society sector, which has long played a critical role in advocacy, service delivery, and social development in the country.

Workshop Focuses on Capacity Building and Governance

The call for reform was made at a two-day zonal capacity-building workshop for civil society organisation champions drawn from the North Central states of Nasarawa, Kwara, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Niger, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The event was held at BON Hotel-Elvis in Abuja and was supported by the European Union-funded CSO Strengthening Bridge Project (EU CSO Bridge), implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

Themed ‘Scaling the Adoption of Self-Regulation in Nigeria: Zonal Capacity Building for CSO Champions and Sub-national Network Leads,’ the workshop brought together representatives of diverse civil society organisations across the region for intensive learning, peer engagement, and practical planning sessions. The goal was to strengthen governance, transparency, and sustainability within the civic space.

EGLAI Team Lead, Dr. Harry Udoh, emphasized that civil society organisations have historically played critical roles in nation-building, advocacy, service delivery, and social development. He noted that these groups often fill gaps where government presence is limited, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Integrity Under Threat, Urgent Need for Reform

Dr. Udoh warned that the integrity of civil society is under threat unless organisations adopt stronger ethical reforms and constitutional governance. He argued that a functional code of conduct is the foundation of any credible institution and that organisational principles must guide decisions, actions, and operations.

He explained that the push for civil society self-regulation in Nigeria did not begin recently but was the outcome of years of reflection, engagement, and collective learning within the sector. The initiative is rooted in the aspiration to build a vibrant, transparent, and accountable civil society ecosystem capable of delivering effectively on its mandates while retaining public trust.

According to Dr. Udoh, the European Union has been a key partner in this process, providing support through earlier initiatives and later reinforcing it through the EU CSO Bridge Project. This support was aimed at strengthening CSO governance structures and operational systems, particularly in the face of growing legislative and regulatory pressures that often failed to adequately reflect the realities of civic engagement.

He noted that at various points, attempts were made to introduce laws that, though sometimes well-intentioned, risked constricting civic space due to limited understanding of the civil society ecosystem. These developments made it necessary for CSOs to look inward, acknowledge internal shortcomings, and collectively establish minimum standards of conduct that align with both national laws and global best practices.

Framework for Self-Regulation Evolves

Dr. Udoh explained that this introspection led to the development of the Nigerian CSO Self-Regulation Framework, which originally comprised multiple modalities designed to guide civil society governance and operations. However, following subsequent reviews in 2023 and 2024, stakeholders agreed to adopt a more simplified hybrid approach combining code of conduct, self-assessment mechanisms, and working group information systems to enable effective monitoring, evaluation, and compliance.

Mr. Shiwua Mnenga, EGLAI Project Officer, outlined practical steps CSOs can adopt to strengthen self-regulation. He recommended structured self-assessment mechanisms as a means of ensuring accountability and sustainability. He emphasized that the workshop was designed as a training-of-champions model to equip participants with the knowledge and tools required to drive grassroots adoption of self-regulation across the country.

Participants at the workshop engaged in sessions that focused on developing internal codes of conduct, implementing transparency measures, and creating mechanisms for internal audits. The aim is to ensure that civil society organisations remain effective and trusted by the public, even as they handle an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

The call for self-regulation comes at a time when civil society groups are under increasing pressure from legislative and regulatory changes. Many of these changes, while aimed at improving accountability, have raised concerns about the potential for overreach and the restriction of civic space.

Experts argue that self-regulation is not only a response to these challenges but also a way to ensure that civil society remains independent, credible, and effective. By setting their own standards, CSOs can demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability while also influencing the broader policy environment.

The European Union has played a significant role in supporting these efforts, with its CSO Strengthening Bridge Project providing both financial and technical assistance to help organisations implement self-regulation frameworks. The project has been active in Nigeria since 2021 and has supported over 200 civil society organisations in strengthening their internal governance structures.

Looking ahead, the next phase of the initiative will involve expanding the self-regulation framework to other regions of the country and ensuring that the standards developed during the workshop are adopted by a wider range of civil society organisations. The goal is to create a unified approach to self-regulation that can be adapted to different local contexts while maintaining national consistency.

As the civil society sector continues to evolve, the need for strong internal governance and self-regulation has become more pressing. The efforts of organisations like EGLAI and the support of international partners like the European Union are seen as critical to ensuring that civil society remains a strong and independent force in Nigerian society.