An international civil society organisation (CSO), Global Rights, in collaboration with the European Union (EU), Monday, demanded strengthening of democratic governance and improvement in Nigeria’s regulatory environment.
Speaking at the launch of the End-of-Project Evaluation Report and the 2025 CSO Regulatory Environment Ranking Dashboard in Abuja, under the EU-funded project, Strengthening a Community of Practice (CoP) to Improve the CSO Regulatory Environment in Nigeria, they warned that compliance and constructive engagement must continue beyond donor-funded interventions.
They tasked the Community of Practice (CoP), the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and other public institutions on stronger civic space reforms.
About the project
The Evaluation Report and the 2025 CSO Regulatory Environment Ranking Dashboard is a three-year initiative that brought together civil society organisations, regulatory agencies, legislators and policymakers to address regulatory bottlenecks confronting CSOs and promote a more enabling civic space.
A total of 39 organisations were surveyed across seven states, including Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.
Global Rights Boss speaks on project
Speaking at the launch, the Executive Director of Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, revealed that the end of the project does not tantamount to the end of the collaboration established between the CSOs and EU in the last three years.
She said the initiative was never designed as a “tick-the-box” project, but as a long-term effort requiring cooperation among federal and state governments, regulators, civil society organisations, women, youth and other stakeholders.
Regarding concerns about the future of the initiative after donor funding, Baiyewu said the partnership would continue, revealing that one of the project’s major achievements was improving relationships between regulators and civil society, adding that constructive engagement had replaced years of distrust in many areas.
She commended the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for what she described as its transformation over the last three years, urging Nigerians to continue supporting civic engagement, even as said that criticism of government should not be viewed as hostility.
She said: “The past three years have been a long road and a great deal of work has gone into implementing this project. It has required collaboration across government and civil society, regulatory agencies, organisations at the federal, state and local government levels, as well as the inclusion of women, youth and groups that are often excluded from policy conversations.
“With or without funding, this collaboration continues. We are seeking funding because resources are critical to sustaining the momentum we have built, but the work itself does not end because a project has ended.
“I have seen significant change in the CAC. It has become more responsive and more willing to engage. We will continue engaging regulators because there can no longer be excuses for avoiding dialogue.
“Civil society exists because citizens deserve accountability. Criticism is not an attack; it is part of building a better society. Government and civil society need one another if Nigeria is to progress. Those in government today can leave someday and then join CSOs to demand the same thing we’re demanding now.”
Similarly, Global Rights Programme Manager, Nora Sedi, said the project had strengthened partnerships among CSOs, regulatory agencies, legislators and development partners over the past three years.
She expressed appreciation to the European Union for supporting the initiative and acknowledged the contributions of members of the Community of Practice (CoP), the CAC, the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and other public institutions.
She said sustained dialogue between government and civil society remains essential to strengthening Nigeria’s civic space and promoting an enabling regulatory environment for non-profit organisations.
EU official speaks
Speaking virtually, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, said the EU is committed to promoting good governance, democratic institutions and civic participation in Nigeria.
He described civil society as indispensable to democratic governance, saying organisations play critical roles in representing citizens, promoting transparency, advancing human rights and contributing to inclusive policymaking.
He said that the project had focused on strengthening regulatory compliance among CSOs, encouraging dialogue between public institutions and civil society, supporting communities of practice across participating states and promoting evidence-based regulatory reforms.
He revealed the launch of the two knowledge products marked an important milestone and that the conclusion of the project should be viewed as the beginning of a new phase of collaboration rather than its end.
He said: “The ability of civil society organisations to fulfil this role depends on the existence of a regulatory environment that enables, rather than constrains, their work.
“The first is the independent end-line evaluation report, which provides an evidence-based assessment of the project’s achievements, lessons learned and recommendations for future programming.
“The second is the State Ranking Dashboard, an innovative tool that assesses and compares the regulatory environment for civil society organisations across Nigeria’s states.
“This dashboard has the potential to encourage constructive dialogue, support informed policymaking and promote positive competition among states to strengthen the enabling environment for civil society.
“The relationships established, the communities of practice nurtured, the knowledge generated and the policy conversations initiated provide a strong foundation for continued collaboration in support of democratic governance and civic participation in Nigeria.”
Co-chair reveals details about project
On his part, Co-chair of the National Steering Committee of the Community of Practice (CoP) on Civic Space Strengthening, Ken Henshaw, said the initiative was conceived to reduce excessive regulatory burdens that made compliance difficult for civil society organisations.
He recalled that before the intervention, many organisations were subjected to multiple registration requirements at federal and state levels depending on the nature of their programmes, saying findings from the independent evaluation showed overwhelming support for the project.
He said: “In some states, organisations had to register with several ministries depending on whether they worked on education, women, youth or other thematic areas. It created unnecessary barriers that made our work extremely difficult.
“About 92.2 per cent of beneficiaries rated the project as excellent, while 95 per cent indicated they intend to continue applying the knowledge and compliance systems introduced under the project.
“Those are remarkable outcomes for any development intervention,” he said.
Henshaw, however, acknowledged that significant regulatory challenges remained.
“We have not removed every bottleneck affecting civic space, but we have made an important start. Beyond the immediate achievements, the project has created a legacy of trust, institutional relationships, stronger capacity and confidence that stakeholders can continue building upon.”
Odinkalu advises CSOs on regulatory compliance
Also speaking, former chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Chairman of the Governing Board of Global Rights, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, advised CSOs to embrace compliance as a permanent organisational culture rather than treating it as a donor requirement.
Odinkalu warned that Nigeria was entering what he described as a politically sensitive period that would test the resilience of CSOs, saying meticulous record-keeping and strict compliance with legal obligations will protected organisations from arbitrary state action.
He also advocated partnerships with Nigerian universities to institutionalise compliance training and certification for CSOs across the country.
He said: “Compliance is not a project; compliance is a culture. The political environment over the next two years will be increasingly difficult. If organisations want to remain active and relevant, they must build resilience through strong governance systems and full regulatory compliance.
“Late human rights lawyer Gani Fawehinmi, kept records of everything, maintained impeccable tax compliance and ensured every legal obligation was fulfilled. That discipline made it difficult for governments to silence him despite repeated attempts. CSOs should learn from him too so that they can’t be found wanting while holding government accountable.
“We must ensure this project does not remain dependent on donor funding alone. There is room for collaboration with universities to make compliance education sustainable and available nationwide.”