News Investigators/ The Federal Government is to establish a quarterly government-civil society policy dialogue forum to institutionalise citizens’ participation in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, made this known on Friday at the 2026 National Civil Society Organisation Summit in Abuja.
He said the forum would provide a structured platform for evidence-based advocacy and ensure that community-level concerns were reflected in government decisions.
Tinubu also pledged to expand civic space for social accountability through greater collaboration with accredited civil society organisations (CSOs) on public finance transparency, budget tracking and monitoring of humanitarian and grassroots interventions.
He said the initiative was part of efforts to strengthen public trust and institutional accountability as his administration pursued its reform agenda.
The president said the summit, coming shortly after Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, represented a reaffirmation of the social contract between the state and citizens.
According to him, civil society has historically played a critical role in Nigeria’s democratic development by giving voice to vulnerable groups, influencing policy and advocating social justice, human rights, poverty reduction and anti-corruption.
“My administration firmly believes that no nation can achieve inclusive, equitable and sustainable development without a vibrant, credible and responsible civil society operating within an open and enabling civic space,” he said.
Tinubu acknowledged the difficulties created by the economic reforms embarked upon by his administration since 2023, but said the country was moving from reforms towards prosperity.
He said economic growth must translate into social inclusion, adding that government alone could not achieve the objective.
“Hence, we are reaching out to the left out,” he said, stressing the need for stronger partnerships among government, civil society and other stakeholders.
The president identified four areas for deeper government-CSO collaboration, beginning with the quarterly policy dialogue forum to be established by the SGF.
He said the forum would facilitate evidence-based advocacy and enable community insights to feed into policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
Tinubu also pledged to strengthen accountability and transparency by expanding civic space for social accountability and working with accredited CSOs on public finance transparency, budget tracking and monitoring of humanitarian and grassroots interventions.
He said CSOs would also be repositioned as key drivers of efforts to localise the Sustainable Development Goals, with government, the UN system, development partners and the private sector supporting capacity building, institutional sustainability and access to technical and financial resources.
He identified poverty reduction, youth and women empowerment, health, education, climate resilience and peace-building as areas requiring stronger collaboration.
On national cohesion, Tinubu urged CSOs to remain a stabilising force by countering false information, promoting interfaith dialogue and advocating inclusive governance.
He also urged the organisations to play a prominent role in preparations for the 2027 general elections through voter education, election monitoring and advocacy for electoral reforms.
Tinubu said the credibility of the electoral process would require coordinated efforts involving civil society, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, the media and citizens.
Meanwhile, CSOs at the summit demanded a formal mechanism for feeding grassroots intelligence, community concerns and early-warning signals into government policy and budget decisions.
The National Convener of the summit and Director-General of the Civil Society Organisations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative (CSCHEI), Amb. Kunle Yusuff, said CSOs had extensive grassroots information that could help government identify emerging problems and design responsive interventions.
Yusuff said CSCHEI was working with about 3,700 accredited civil society and community-based organisations across 485 areas, describing the network as a potential bridge between communities and government.
He said the network provided access to community-level data and early-warning information that could support national planning and interventions.
“For too long, policy has been formulated for people without people,” he said.
Yusuff said the summit was proposing a sustainable partnership compact through which government, civil society and the private sector could jointly address national priorities rather than operate from positions of suspicion.
He said the proposed framework would provide a mechanism for monitoring government policies, budgets and electoral promises while ensuring that information generated from communities reached relevant authorities.
“We are not here to complain. We are here to make a positive contribution that will make Nigeria a better place to live,” he said.
Yusuff disclosed that civil society leaders had previously submitted nine recommendations to the Presidency, with three already receiving government attention.
He also urged the private sector to align its corporate social responsibility programmes with national development priorities.
He said civil society could provide community-level data and early warnings, government could provide policy direction and implementation, while the private sector could contribute resources and technical expertise.
Representing the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Amb. Lawrence Olufemi said the institute remained committed to strengthening democratic and political institutions.
He said NIPSS had developed programmes aimed at improving inter-party democracy, promoting political stability and strengthening peace, equality, diversity and transparency within political parties.
Olufemi said stronger political institutions were essential to sustaining democratic development and ensuring that national priorities were effectively translated into policy.
The summit brought together government officials, civil society leaders and other stakeholders to discuss national development, skills development, technology, traditional institutions and governance.
Participants included the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Mr Adamson Ayinde; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Chieftaincy Matters, Alhaji Abbas Hashim; and the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi.
The Executive Director of Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative (VREI) and South-South Coordinator of the Male Feminist Network (MFN), Pastor Edewor Egedegbe, was also among the speakers.
The discussions focused on strengthening governance, democratic participation and national development, with emphasis on ensuring that citizens’ concerns were reflected in government policies and programmes.
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