President Bola Tinubu has directed the establishment of a quarterly government-civil society policy dialogue forum to ensure citizens' participation in policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. The President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, issued the directive at the 2026 National Civil Society Organisation Summit in Abuja. This initiative aims to provide a structured platform for evidence-based advocacy and reflect community-level concerns in government decisions.
The proposed forum is part of efforts to strengthen public trust and institutional accountability as the administration pursues its reform agenda. Tinubu noted that the civil society has historically played a critical role in Nigeria's democratic development by giving voice to vulnerable groups, influencing policy, and advocating social justice, human rights, poverty reduction, and anti-corruption. The President emphasized that no nation can achieve inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development without a vibrant, credible, and responsible civil society operating within an open and enabling civic space.
Tinubu acknowledged the difficulties created by the economic reforms embarked upon by his administration since 2023 but expressed optimism that the country is moving from reforms towards prosperity. He stressed that economic growth must translate into social inclusion and added that government alone cannot achieve this objective. The President identified four areas for deeper government-CSO collaboration, including poverty reduction, youth and women empowerment, health, education, climate resilience, and peace-building.
The President explained that the quarterly policy dialogue forum will facilitate evidence-based advocacy and enable community insights to feed into policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Going forward, CSOs will be repositioned as key drivers of efforts to localize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with government, the United Nations system, development partners, and the private sector supporting capacity building, institutional sustainability, and access to technical and financial resources.
The National Convener of the National Civil Society Organisation Summit, Ambassador Kunle Yusuff, noted that CSOs possess extensive grassroots information that could help the government identify emerging problems and design more responsive interventions. Yusuff said the summit proposed a sustainable partnership compact through which the government, civil society, and the private sector could work jointly on national priorities rather than operating from positions of suspicion.
The summit brought together government officials, civil society leaders, and other stakeholders to brainstorm on national development, skills development, technology, traditional institutions, and governance. CSOs demanded a formal mechanism for feeding grassroots intelligence, community concerns, and early-warning signals into government policy and budget decisions. The representative of the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Ambassador Lawrence Olufemi, expressed commitment to strengthening democratic and political institutions.
Key to the success of this initiative will be the collaboration between the government, civil society, and the private sector. The President urged CSOs to remain a stabilizing force by countering false information, promoting interfaith dialogue, and advocating inclusive governance. He also urged the civic organizations to play a prominent role in preparations for the 2027 general elections through voter education, election monitoring, and advocacy for electoral reforms.
Key points
- President Tinubu orders quarterly government-CSO policy dialogue to enhance citizens' participation in policy formulation and implementation.
- The initiative aims to strengthen public trust and institutional accountability.
- CSOs will be repositioned as key drivers of efforts to localize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
