CSOs Urged to Embrace Self-Regulation, Strengthen Accountability in Nigeria

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria have been urged to strengthen internal governance, transparency and accountability by adopting self-regulation principles to improve public trust and ensure effective service delivery.

Harry Udoh, Team Lead of the Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative (EGLAI), made the call during a regional onboarding workshop in Yola, Adamawa State, no deepening the adoption and implementation of CSO self-regulation in the Northeast, supported by the EU-CSO strengthening bridge project

Mr Udoh said the workshop was a follow-up to an earlier engagement held in February, aimed at equipping designated champions to promote ethical standards and accountability among civil society organisations in their respective states.

He explained that participants drawn from six states in the North-east were expected to share the knowledge gained with other CSO networks and organisations to broaden the implementation of the initiative.

“Self-regulation is about getting civil society organisations to discipline themselves by looking at their governance, financial management and operational policies,” he said.

According to him, having policies on paper is not enough; organisations must demonstrate commitment to them through their daily activities, including responsible financial management, ethical conduct and transparent decision-making.

He said these measures would help strengthen the credibility of civil society organisations and make them more reliable partners for government, donors and communities.

Mr Udoh noted that CSOs play important roles in Nigeria’s development by creating jobs, supporting vulnerable populations, reaching underserved communities and complementing government efforts in service delivery.

He particularly highlighted the contribution of civil society organisations in the North-east, where humanitarian and development groups support people affected by insecurity and other crises.

Explaining the framework guiding the initiative, Mr Udoh said civil society organisations agreed in 2023 to adopt a harmonised code of conduct containing principles on governance, resource management, conflict of interest, safeguarding and ethical standards.

He said the framework also provides for peer accountability, organisational self-assessment and information disclosure to encourage organisations to evaluate their performance and make relevant information available to stakeholders.

According to him, the self-assessment mechanism enables organisations to determine whether they comply with the code of conduct and applicable national regulations.

He added that the information-sharing component encourages organisations to disclose details of their activities, financial statements and audited accounts as part of efforts to promote transparency.

Mr Udoh said accountability should extend beyond donor agencies to include government institutions, staff, peer organisations and beneficiaries.

“You are not only going to be accountable to the donors, but you need to be accountable to government, your peers, the staff of your organisation and the beneficiaries of the work that you do,” he said.

He explained that wider accountability would help organisations build public confidence, maintain legitimacy and become more responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.

The EGLAI team lead also observed that some organisations struggle to comply with existing regulations because they lack adequate knowledge of the legal and administrative requirements governing their operations.

He said the self-regulation initiative seeks to address the gap by helping organisations strengthen their internal systems and better understand their obligations under relevant regulations, including those administered by the Corporate Affairs Commission and tax authorities.

Mr Udoh acknowledged the need for government oversight of the civil society sector but cautioned against introducing additional legislation without considering existing regulatory frameworks.

He argued that overlapping regulations could create unnecessary burdens for organisations already subject to several compliance requirements.

Referring to the proposed foreign NGOs legislation, he questioned the need for additional provisions where similar requirements may already be covered by existing laws and regulatory institutions.

He, however, stressed that the initiative was not intended to shield civil society organisations from legitimate oversight but to encourage them to become more disciplined, transparent and compliant.

Mr Udoh expressed optimism that sustained implementation of the framework would help build a stronger civil society sector capable of supporting national development and holding public institutions accountable.

He also urged participating champions to ensure that the lessons from the workshop translated into practical changes within their organisations.

Also speaking, Shuibu Ibrahim, a participant from Maiduguri, said self-regulation would only be effective if organisations moved beyond preparing policies to ensure that staff understood and applied them in their daily work.

He observed that many non-governmental and development organisations had formal policy documents, but the provisions were not always adequately understood or consistently implemented by operational staff.

Mr Ibrahim said strengthening institutions required translating governance frameworks into everyday practice through ethical conduct, transparency and peer accountability.

He urged participants to share the knowledge acquired at the workshop with colleagues and partner organisations that could not attend the programme.

Mr Ibrahim commended the Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative and its funding partners, including the European Union, for addressing capacity gaps in the humanitarian and development sectors.

He said the programme had helped simplify complex operational frameworks and make them more accessible for practical implementation within civil society organisations.