The European Union Agent for Citizens-Driven Transformation (EU-ACT) has stressed the need to provide a guiding operating platform that will harmonize the procedures between Civil society organisations and government agencies at the state and local government levels in the country.

Edem Udoekong, Component 2 Manager of the EU-ACT, while speaking at the “National Consultative Forum as key for MDAs and CSOs network”, organised by British Council in Abuja, said the forum was a capacity-building discussion on how to improve the regulatory environment for CSOs operations in Nigeria.

He said: “Enabling environments is dependent on the regulatory framework. The capacity of an entity might be very good but if the regulatory environment is not enabling, isn’t still not going to function very well; that is why we are doing this.

“We tell CSOs to be independent partners in developing like others. We know why we need to get the regulatory environment and framework right. Because we normally travel outside to look for foreign investments and by experience, I realize no matter how much investors have, they have to go to the capital market and when they go to the capital market, the social factors and other factors affect it,” he added.

Udoekong further explained that since CSOs attract lots of investment in form of interest-free grants, there is a need to ensure that the enabling environment is right, hence the need for a good framework.

In her remarks, Ms Winifred Achu, European Union representative, said the Forum would provide a workable framework for CSOs to perform in their various capacities.

Participants from Rivers, Adamawa and Bayelsa, expressed optimism that the Forum would improve its effectiveness and ensure the Government and the people benefit as appropriate.