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FG set to relax regulatory environment for CSOs, as they appeal for protection against repressive laws
Nasiru Yusuf
The Federal Government says it will loosen the environment in order to make it more effective and attractive for the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to operate.
KANO FOCUS reports that Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Alhaji Garba Abubakar, revealed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the national conference on CSOs operational environment.
Abubakar represented by his Personal Assistant Mr. Terver Ayua-Jor said “COSs are increasingly becoming more important because of the role they play at global level on issues of environment sustainability and human rights which are currently in the front banner of global dialogue.”
Mr. Terver Ayua-Jor
According to him, a recent study commissioned by Globescan poll of experts indicated that the percentage role expected to be played by Government, Business and NGOs in achieving sustainability is 24, 35 and 30 per cent, respectively.
He said that the study clearly indicated that CSOs were expected to play more active role in achieving environmental sustainability than government.
Abubakar said that in modern times, CSOs were widely understood to be the “third sector” of the economy distinct from government and business.
“The topic ‘unpacking the regulatory framework for CSOs in Nigeria’ presupposes that the environment is currently tightly packed or conscripted and require loosening in order to make it more effective.
“This assumption appears to be an exaggeration or untenable because S 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended provides that ‘every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular.
“The person may form or belong to a political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests”,’’ he said.
Abubakar said that the constitution had already unpacked operational environment for CSOs.
He said that the country also has a very robust CSOs sub sector.
According to him, ”this is just a biased sample and excludes other interests such as health, human rights, environmental, charitable and humanitarian groups.”
He said an attempt to improve the corporate governance framework in CAMA 2020 has been misconceived as attempts to micro-manage civil society organizations.
Abubakar said,” experience has shown that corporate governance was very minimal or sometimes totally lacking in most of the CSOs.
“ This is not in the overall interest of the country.
“Globally, CSOs (NPOS) are expected to be in the forefront in the fight against Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism.
“They are accordingly required to implement Regulations of 8 and 25 of the Financial Taskforce (FATF) on nonprofit organizations and legal arrangements.”
According to him, there was usually a distinction between freedom of association and perceived rights to association under a particular name.
“It is recognized that there is fundamental right to association, there is no right to association under particular name.
“The use of a particular name requires licensing or registration and can be denied by a sovereign state or its agency,’’ he said.
He assured the CSO sector that the commission was willing to partner with all CSO’s, to enable them achieve their objectives.
The deputy ambassador and head, Politics, Press and Information section of the EU, Elexandre Borges Gomes, said they are great fans of the CSOs in Nigeria and will support them to promote good governance and democracy.
Elexandre Borges Gomes
Addressing journalists at a Press Conference to mark the event, the chairman of organising committee who double as Programmes Manager, Global Rights Edosa Oviawe, Programmes, said that Civil Society Organisation have gathered to brainstorm on the appropriate instruments to regulate their operations in Nigeria.
He said that the conference was aimed at generating shared understanding and collective perspectives by stakeholders in this direction.
Oviawe said the conference would also discuss increasing public awareness about the roles of CSOS and the need for an enabling regulatory environment that protects the sector from repressive legislations.
Edosa Oviawe
According to him, ”there is a concern about the low level of awareness of existing regulations among relevant stakeholders, including CSOS, NGOS and regulators.”
He said that in spite of the existence of over a dozen legislations, Nigerian lawmakers for example, still claim, “there is no law that regulates the activities of NGOs.”
Oviawe said that instead of interrogating the effectiveness and relevance of extant regulations, each administration since 2007, was swift to introduce another legislation to regulate .
“The recent was the re-introduction of the NGO bill on the floor of the House of Representatives in July,’’ he said.
“This event was the first of its kind in Nigeria as there has not been any previous attempt to bring various stakeholders to discuss pertinent issues that affect the effectiveness and impact of the civil society sector.
“The conference will also address the enabling conducive regulatory environment for CSO operations in the country,’’ Oviawe said.
He said the conference was supported by the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and West Africa and EU-Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation (ACT) Programme through a collaboration of EU-ACT Programme.
Others, he said, are Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and USAID-Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE), aimed at improving the civil society regulatory environment in Nigeria.
Oviawe said that in spite of the availability of over a dozen legislations and policies that currently guide the activities of the not for-profit sector, at least five unsuccessful attempts had been made within the past decade by different regulatory agencies.
According to him, ”every National Assembly introduces new legislations and policies to further regulate CSO operations without recourse to extant legal provisions.”
He said that instead, ”a misguided perception continued to expand the narrative among these regulatory agencies that CSOs were not adequately regulated.
“There is the need for capacity improvement and enabling regulatory environment require attention to strengthen CSO operations in Nigeria.
“It is, however, expedient to address the concerns around the regulatory framework as several issues embedded therein need to be clarified in order to clear the air of the current state of confusion among stakeholders,’’ Oviawe said.
He said that EU-ACT collaborated with the National Steering Committee on Civil Society Regulatory Environment to host the conference which is designed as a response to address some of these concerns,.
Oviawe said, ”it was necessary to address the concerns around the regulatory framework as several issues embedded therein need to be clarified in order to clear the air on issues.
“It is on this premise that the EU-ACT has collaborated with the National Steering Committee on Civil Society Regulatory Environment to orgainse the conference to address some of these concerns.
“Currently, there is no unified perspective about what should constitute a body of regulations for CSOs and this has resulted in various interpretations by different actors on how the sector should be regulated.
“Unless resolved and properly clarified, this issue of multiple definitions will continue to put both regulatory agencies and civil society actors at loggerheads,’’ he said.
The 3-day National Conference on Civil Society Regulatory Environment in Nigeria brings together various actors from the civil society sector, and government including regulatory agencies and legislators, as well as donors and other stakeholders, to discuss pertinent issues that affect the effectiveness and impact of the civil society sector from the point of view of enabling a conducive regulatory environment for CSO operations in the country.
The broad objective of the conference is to create an opportunity for stakeholders to synergize efforts at improving the CSO regulatory environment.
The Conference is aimed at generating shared understanding and collective perspectives by stakeholders on appropriate instruments of regulation and effective processes to regulate CSOs operation in Nigeria as well as increasing broad public awareness about the roles of CSOs and the need for an enabling regulatory environment to protect the sector from repressive legislation.
This convergence is the first of its kind to provide a neutral platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue and ensure that all relevant opinions from all concerned groups are holistically collected. It is therefore hoped that this conference will result in the development of comprehensive recommendations arising from the resolutions reached and agree on modalities for implementing the recommendations.
The National Conference on Civil Society Operational Environment is supported with funding from the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS and the Agents for Citizen-Driven Transformation (ACT) Programme which is implemented by the British Council.
Aminu Abdullahi
The adolescent girls initiative for learning and empowerment AGILE has been described as a major catalyst to educational development.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Emir of Rano, Alhaji Muhammad Isa Umaru, made the indication while receiving AGILE team in his palace.
According to him, Kano has witnessed significant progress in girl child education facilitated by AGILE, hence the need for traditional institutions and relevant stakeholders to contribute their quota to achieve the desired objectives.
He noted that, Rano Emirate has been at the forefront of ensuring enrollment retention and completion of girls education through various initiatives.
The emir called on the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) to upgrade the girls school in his community.
The monarch said, the school, located beside the palace, requires expansion to accommodate a larger number of students.
The traditional ruler suggested that AGILE should visit the school to assess its condition, saying that, relocating the school to a bigger location had been earlier considered.
In his remarks the permanent secretary Kano state ministry of education Alhaji Bashir Baffa explained that, they were at the palace to seek for support and blessings form the royal father.
He said, AGILE has fostered an enabling environment for girls through promoting behavioral changes through communication campaigns engagement with traditional rulers and advocacy.
He maintained that, the team has embarked on advocacy visits to all relevant stakeholders at community and state levels on the importance of girls education.
Alhaji Baffa hinted that the state government had declared a state of emergency on education, hence the need for the traditional institution to contribute its quota to achieve the desired objectives.
He posited that, the team will visit the school to see possible ways of intervening for the development of education.
The permanent secretary also used the opportunity to condole Rano emirate over the killing of its indigenes in Uromi.
KANO FOCUS reports that, earlier the team has paid a similar visit to Karaye Emirate council as part of efforts to advocate for support from the traditional institution and relevant stakeholders.
Aminu Abdullahi Ibrahim
The Kano State Ministry of Education’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, supported by the World Bank, has successfully renovated over 1,300 senior and junior secondary schools in the state in the last three years.
KANO FOCUS reports that the state commissioner for education, Alhaji Ali Haruna Makoda, disclosed this during a visit to the Karaye Emirate on Tuesday.
He added that the AGILE program has enrolled more than 30,000 girls through targeted outreach, grants, and its Second Chance education initiative.
Makoda further revealed that the state government has finalized plan to construct 130 new schools in rural communities, with over 35,000 girls already benefiting from financial assistance under the scheme.
He urged the Karaye Emirate to lend full support to the program and prioritize girls’ education.
In his remarks, the Emir of Karaye, Alhaji Muhammad Maharaz, pledged the emirate’s commitment to advancing girls’ education in Kano State.
He commended the state government and the commissioner for their dedication to the programme’s success.
“It is our collective responsibility to support this initiative,” the Emir stated, calling for measures to ensure beneficiaries complete their education with strong academic outcomes.
The commissioner’s delegation consist of the Kano State AGILE Project Coordinator, Malam Mujitapha Aminu and other members of State Programme Implementation Unit (SPIU).
Aminu Abdullahi Ibrahim
Bayero University Kano (BUK) on Monday celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Faculty of Education and inaugurated its Alumni Association at the Convocation Arena of the university’s new campus.
KANO FOCUS reports that the event was graced by government officials, education stakeholders, and alumni all gathered to commemorate the faculty’s contributions to Nigeria’s educational sector.
In her keynote address, the State Minister for Education, Mrs. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad announced the Federal Government’s Sector Renewal Initiative designed to transition Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy.
She highlighted that the aim of the renewal initiative consists of – Reducing the number of out-of-school children; combating learning poverty; nhancing skills development and human capital for the labor market
The minister noted that the initiative prioritizes Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Digital literacy and education quality assurance.
Mrs. Ahmad disclosed that the Federal Government had disbursed ₦35 billion to 261 beneficiaries under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), with BUK among the top beneficiaries.
“So far, the scheme has received 420 applications, and we are scaling up investments,” she stated.
She further confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved ₦120 billion to boost TVET programs, with plans to train 650 youths in technical, vocational, and digital skills over the next two years.
Emeritus Professor Sani Ahmad Sufi, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, praised the faculty for its high-quality graduates.
“Our pride lies not just in the number of graduates produced yearly, but in their impact across Nigeria and beyond,” he said.
He added that the faculty has produced Nigeria’s largest pool of graduate teachers many of whom hold key positions nationally and internationally.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje applauded the faculty for its significant role in advancing education in Nigeria.
The event concluded with awards presented to distinguished alumni and supporters of the faculty in recognition of their contributions to its growth.
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