The need has been stressed for members of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to build stronger ties with their counterparts across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, as a condition for greater efficiency in their roles towards the country’s growth and development.
A non-governmental organization operating under the auspices of the Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative (EGLAI) made the call, insisting that such collaboration would help achieve synergy and advance the collective goals of CSOs nationwide.
According to EGLAI, the approach remains operational in developed countries such as the United States, which has the highest number of registered CSOs but achieves impact through collective mechanisms rather than isolated efforts.
The Executive Director of EGLAI, Mr. Harry Udoh, gave the charge on Wednesday during his opening remarks at a three-day workshop organized for CSOs in the South-East region.
The workshop held in Enugu, the state capital, is funded by the European Union, with the theme, “Scaling the Adoption of Self-Regulation in Nigeria: Zonal Capacity Building for CSO Champions and Subnational Network Leads in the South-East.”
Udoh explained that the workshop was designed to establish constitutional boundaries for the regulation of CSO operations in Nigeria.
He noted that EGLAI, acting as an ombudsman, is mandated to promote financial accountability and transparency among CSOs in the country.
“As an ombudsman, we are charged with the responsibility of ensuring financial accountability and transparency in your operations in Nigeria. We also encourage CSOs to build stronger ties with their counterparts across other geopolitical zones of the country in line with approved ethical practices,” he said.
He added that such collaborative practices are common in developed countries, including the United States, where CSOs operate through collective structures despite their large numbers.
The EGLAI executive director further called on participants to facilitate adherence to the proposed self-regulatory mechanisms in their respective states.
He reminded CSOs of their critical role in advancing good governance at the grassroots level.
“We support CSOs in Nigeria and civil society networks in their efforts to facilitate adherence to self-regulatory mechanisms by subscribers. At the end of this workshop, participants are expected to ensure that these mechanisms are adopted in their various states,” Udoh stated.
He emphasized that CSOs play a critical role in promoting good governance at the grassroots, particularly in the areas of health, education, and politics.
Also speaking at the workshop, the Programme Information Officer of EGLAI, Mr. Chiiwua Mnenga, delivered a paper titled ‘Nigerian CSOs: Minimum Standards of Operation.’
He said that beyond statutory compliance, CSOs must build public trust, legitimacy, and effectiveness in their operations in line with international standards.
“These laws provide the legal foundation for the existence and activities of CSOs across the country.
However, beyond statutory compliance, public trust, legitimacy, and effectiveness are strengthened when CSOs voluntarily commit to higher operational standards,” he explained.
Mnenga noted that CSO networks and platforms in Nigeria have collectively adopted minimum operational standards based on principles of self-regulation aligned with international best practices.
