As part of efforts to improve credibility and transparency in the operations of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have created a framework to ensure self-regulation and compliance with the existing laws of the country.

National Programme Manager, EU-Agent for Citizen-Driven Transformation (ACT) Programme of the British Council, Damilare Babalola, made this known on Wednesday during the “National Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on CSO Self-Regulation in Nigeria”.

He said the framework is to ensure the sector becomes more accountable and effective in operations.

Also speaking, the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Mr David Anyaele, said the framework for self-regulation was necessitated by the need to promote trust and ensure assumption that CSOs are funding terrorism remain false

Anyaele, who is one of the key stakeholders, said: “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.

“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.”

On her part, the Project Manager CSO and Youth, Governance, Peace and Migration Section of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Wynyfred Achu-Egbuson, said the framework would encompass several models that CSOs can adopt.

Achu-Egbuson stressed that it would encompass the active involvement of groups from the national down to the sub-national level and from the subnational back to the national level.

She 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.”

According to her, “That way, situations that can lead to government involvement in the sector can be avoided as well as constriction of freedom of engagement.”

“The EU-ACT team is working closely with the Corporate Affairs Commission to ensure that the CAMA Law is strictly adhered to,” she concluded

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