The Nigerian Presidency has directed the establishment of a quarterly government-civil society policy dialogue forum. This initiative aims to institutionalize citizens' participation in policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. The move is part of efforts to strengthen public trust and institutional accountability as the administration pursues its reform agenda. The dialogue forum will provide a structured platform for evidence-based advocacy.
President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian youths to freely express their views on national issues, including disagreements with government policies. He made the call while declaring the National Youth Confab 2026 open, emphasizing the need for young Nigerians to have more than a symbolic presence in discussions on the country's future. Tinubu encouraged participants to speak honestly about their concerns and accompany criticism of government policies with alternative proposals.
The National Youth Confab 2026, themed 'Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future,' is designed to provide young Nigerians with a platform to articulate concerns and develop policy proposals. The confab will focus on issues including governance, economic transformation, education, technology, climate change, and security. The virtual consultation phase ran for two weeks, open to young Nigerians in the country and in the Diaspora.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented President Tinubu at the 2026 National Civil Society Organisation Summit in Abuja. He said the forum would provide a structured platform for evidence-based advocacy and ensure that community-level concerns were reflected in government decisions. The President also pledged to expand civic space for social accountability.
President Tinubu identified four areas for deeper government-CSO collaboration, including the quarterly policy dialogue forum. He also pledged to strengthen accountability and transparency by expanding civic space for social accountability and working with accredited CSOs on public finance transparency, budget tracking, and monitoring of humanitarian and grassroots interventions.
The President urged CSOs to remain a stabilizing force by countering false information, promoting interfaith dialogue, and advocating inclusive governance. He also urged the organizations to play a prominent role in preparations for the 2027 general elections through voter education, election monitoring, and advocacy for electoral reforms.
Civil society organizations have demanded a formal mechanism for feeding grassroots intelligence, community concerns, and early-warning signals into government policy and budget decisions. The National Convener of the National Civil Society Organisation Summit, 2026, Ambassador Kunle Yusuff, said CSOs had extensive grassroots information that could help the government identify emerging problems and design more responsive interventions.
Key points
- The Nigerian Presidency establishes quarterly dialogue forum for government and civil society.
- President Tinubu urges youths to freely express views on national issues.
- Civil society organizations demand formal mechanism for feeding grassroots intelligence into government policy.
