Linus Aleke in Abuja
The European Union (EU) and Global Rights have reaffirmed their commitment to partnering with Nigeria to promote good governance, strengthen democratic institutions, protect civic space and encourage the meaningful participation of citizens in public life.
They stressed that an open and enabling civic space remains indispensable to democratic governance, sustainable development and accountable institutions.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the Global Rights End-of-Project Report and 2025 State Ranking Dashboard Launch for the Strengthening a Community of Practice to Improve the CSO Regulatory Environment in Nigeria project, the Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, said civic space in Nigeria, as in many parts of the world, continues to evolve in response to changing political, social and regulatory realities.
According to him, “This makes sustaining the dialogue between governments, regulators, legislatures and civil society more important than ever. Strong institutions are built through collaboration, mutual accountability and trust.”
He noted that it was against this backdrop that the EU supported the project to strengthen regulatory compliance among civil society organisations (CSOs), foster constructive engagement between CSOs and public institutions, support communities of practice across seven states and encourage evidence-informed dialogue on regulatory reforms.
De Luca described the launch of the end-line evaluation report and the state ranking dashboard as a significant milestone, explaining that the evaluation provides an evidence-based assessment of the project’s achievements, lessons learnt and recommendations for future interventions, while the dashboard offers an innovative tool for assessing and comparing the regulatory environment for CSOs across Nigeria’s states.
He added that the platform has the potential to promote informed policymaking, encourage constructive dialogue and stimulate healthy competition among states to improve the enabling environment for civil society.
Chairman of the Governing Board of Global Rights, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, urged civil society organisations to make compliance an enduring organisational culture rather than viewing it merely as a donor requirement.
“Compliance is not a project; compliance is a culture,” he said, warning that Nigeria was approaching a politically sensitive period that would test the resilience of civil society organisations.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, said the conclusion of the project marked the beginning of a new phase of collaboration rather than its end.
She explained that the initiative was conceived as a long-term effort requiring sustained cooperation among federal and state governments, regulators, civil society organisations, women, youth and other stakeholders.
“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,” she said.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Programme Manager, Global Rights Nigeria, Noya Sedi, expressed appreciation to the EU for its unwavering support over the past three years.
“Through this investment, we have been able to work alongside civil society organisations, regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s civic space and promote a more enabling regulatory environment for civil society,” she said.
