Civil society stakeholders in Nigeria have developed a framework to ensure self-regulation and compliance with the existing laws of the country.
The framework, Development Diaries understands, was developed with a view to improving credibility and transparency in the operations of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently commenced a nationwide risk assessment (NRA) programme of nonprofits in the country with the goal of determining the vulnerabilities of the organisations to money laundering and financing of terrorists.
Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said that the programme was designed to ensure improved compliance with relevant international, regional and domestic laws and regulations.
He also said that it would help in developing mitigating measures for the ‘at-risk and vulnerable NPOs [nonprofit organisations]’ in Nigeria.
Speaking at a recent national stakeholders’ meeting, the National Programme Manager, EU-Agent for Citizen-Driven Transformation (ACT) Programme of the British Council, Damilare Babalola, said the framework would make the sector more accountable and effective.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), David Anyaele, said that the framework for self-regulation was necessitated by the need to promote trust.
‘Within the last few months, we have consulted stakeholders working with CSOs in the north and southern Nigeria and we have looked at the kind of framework we can use to enhance our operation and ensure credibility’, he said.
‘At the end of this consultation, we would have a robust legal framework that the CSOs, state institutions as well as development partners can buy in’.
For her part, the Project Manager, CSO and Youth, Governance, Peace and Migration Section of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Wynyfred Achu-Egbuson, said, ‘There has been a growth of civil society organisations at national, state and grassroots levels.
‘So having a self-regulatory framework is important to regulate the space without necessarily waiting on the government’.
Photo source: Nigeria SCALE
