President Bola Tinubu has structured the establishment of a quarterly government-civil community policy dialogue forum to institutionalise citizens’ participation in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
He furthermore pledged to broaden Nigeria’s civic space to strengthen social accountability and confirm increased collaboration together with accredited civil community organisations, CSOs, on transparency in society support, budget tracking and monitoring of humanitarian and grassroots interventions.
Tinubu said the proposed forum would propose a organized platform for evidence-based advocacy and guarantee that readers-extent concerns were reflected in government decisions.
We are here to make a optimistic contribution that will produce Nigeria a stronger place to live,” Yusuff added, noting that civil community leaders had previously submitted nine recommendations to the Presidency, alongside three already receiving government attention.
“We are not here to complain.
The President identified four areas for deeper government-CSO teamwork, beginning alongside the quarterly policy dialogue forum to be settled by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The areas identified demand poverty reduction, youth and women empowerment, health, education, climate resilience and peace-building.
“For too extended, policy has been formulated for persons excluding persons,” he said, adding that the summit was proposing a sustainable association space-saving by manner of which the government, civil community and the restricted sector could task jointly on nationwide priorities rather than operating from positions of suspicion.
The characterizing of the Administrator-Comprehensive of the Statewide Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Ambassador Lawrence Olufemi, said the institute remained committed to strengthening democratic and political institutions.
Going forward, according to the President, CSOs would be repositioned as key drivers of efforts to localise the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, including government, the United Nations mechanism, development partners and the individual sector supporting capacity building, institutional sustainability and connection to specialized and financial resources.
The President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume, issued the directive on Friday at the 2026 Countrywide Civil Population Organisation Summit in Abuja.
The President explained that the summit, coming shortly subsequent to Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, represented a reaffirmation of the social contract in the middle of the condition and citizens.
Tinubu said the credibility of the electoral consider would necessitate coordinated efforts involving civil society, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, the media and citizens.
The civil community had historically played a decisive role in Nigeria’s democratic development by giving voice to vulnerable groups, influencing policy and advocating social justice, people rights, poverty reduction and anti-corruption, the President noted.
Yet, he said the country was moving from reforms towards prosperity.
In the same vein, the President acknowledged the difficulties created by the economic reforms embarked upon by his administration as 2023.
Tinubu said the initiative was component of efforts to strengthen people trust and institutional accountability as his administration pursued its reform agenda.
“Hence, we are reaching out to the left out,” he said, whilst advocating stronger partnerships between government, civil population and other stakeholders.
The Nationwide Convener of the Countrywide Civil Culture Organisation Summit, 2026 and the Manager-Universal of the Civil Community Organisations on People Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, CSCHEI, Ambassador Kunle Yusuff, said CSOs possess substantial grassroots substance that could guide the government discover emerging problems and strategy additional accepting interventions.
Yusuff said CSCHEI was working alongside on 3,700 accredited civil community and community-based organisations across 485 areas, describing the network as a practical bridge within communities and government. According to him, the network provided admission to viewers-degree facts and ahead of time-warning information that could recommend statewide planning and interventions.
He said NIPSS had developed programmes aimed at improving inter-party democracy, promoting political stability and strengthening peace, equality, diversity and transparency interior to political parties. Olufemi said stronger political institutions were essential to sustaining democratic development and ensuring that domestic priorities were effectively translated into policy.
Whilst stressing that economic growth must render into social inclusion, Tinubu added that government alone could not arrive at the aim.
He said civil population could grant network-extent facts and initial warnings, government could grant policy recommend and implementation, although the personal sector could contribute resources and engineering expertise.
Yusuff, in the sand vein, urged the personal sector to align its corporate social responsibility programmes together with statewide development priorities.
He said the forum would facilitate evidence-based advocacy and facilitate population insights to feed into policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
Meanwhile, at the summit, CSOs demanded a official mechanism for feeding grassroots intelligence, network concerns and initial-warning signals into government policy and budget decisions.
“My administration firmly believes that no nation can accomplish inclusive, equitable and sustainable development lacking a vibrant, credible and responsible civil culture operating in an available and enabling civic space,” Tinubu said.
On domestic cohesion, Tinubu urged CSOs to continue a stabilising force by countering untrue facts, promoting interfaith dialogue and advocating inclusive governance. He additionally urged the civic organisations to play a remarkable role in preparations for the 2027 typical elections by manner of voter education, election monitoring and advocacy for electoral reforms.
Yusuff said the proposed framework would offer a mechanism for monitoring government policies, budgets and electoral promises, during the time that ensuring that material generated from communities reached connected authorities.
The summit brought together government officials, civil population leaders and other stakeholders, who brainstormed on nationwide development, skills development, technology, conventional institutions and governance.
Tinubu orders quarterly government-CSO policy dialogue
Source: Tinubu orders quarterly government-CSO policy dialogue
