CSOs Urged to Strengthen Compliance, Build Resilience Amid Shrinking Civic Space
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria have been urged to strengthen their compliance mechanisms and build institutional resilience to navigate the increasingly complex and restrictive operating environment facing the sector.
The call was made in Abuja on Monday, during a three-day training on Civic Space Protection and Regulatory Compliance for civil society organizations from Abuja, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, organised by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) under the Civic Space Resource Hub (CSR-HUB) Nigeria Cohort IV project.
Speaking at the opening of the training, the Country Lead for Nigeria and Head of Policy Influence and Advocacy at WACSI, Omolara Balogun, said civic space across Nigeria and the West African sub-region is becoming increasingly constrained due to restrictive laws, rising compliance demands, insecurity and dwindling resources.
According to her, the civil society sector is experiencing unprecedented challenges ranging from shrinking civic space and multiple regulatory requirements to declining financial and human resources.
“The sector in which we work has become increasingly complex, difficult and restrained. Regardless of the size of our organizations, we can all feel the pressure. It has never been like this before,” she said.
Balogun noted that non-profit organizations are contending with restrictive laws, multi-layered registration processes, increasing reporting obligations, new tax regulations and insecurity, all of which continue to limit the ability of organizations to function effectively.
She explained that the Civic Space Resource Hub, launched in 2022 with support from the Ford Foundation, was established to respond to emerging threats to civic space, including legal, leadership, resource and digital threats confronting civil society organizations.
According to her, the programme focuses on four critical areas: regulatory compliance, leadership and governance, resource mobilization and financial resilience, as well as digital security.
“We do not seek to be above the law, but we must continue to ask whether the laws governing our operations are enabling or restrictive. We must also ensure that our organizations have strong systems capable of sustaining them over the long term,” she said.
Balogun further observed that civic space has become highly contested, with governments increasingly participating in spaces traditionally occupied by civil society, including advocacy, public engagement and even competition for funding.
“The challenge is no longer simply government against civil society. Different actors are now competing for legitimacy, public attention and citizens’ trust,” she added.
Also speaking, facilitator of the training, Oyebisi Oluseyi, stressed that compliance remains fundamental to the credibility and sustainability of non-profit organizations.
According to him, public trust is one of the most important assets available to non-profit organizations, and such trust can only be sustained through strict adherence to laws and regulatory requirements.
“Compliance is extremely important for non-profits because public trust is what we enjoy as organizations. We can only demonstrate that trust when we comply with the laws and regulatory frameworks guiding our work,” he said.
Oluseyi disclosed that there are about 53 laws and regulatory frameworks governing the operations of non-profit organizations in Nigeria, including reporting obligations to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), pension regulations and health insurance requirements.
He noted that the training was informed by weak compliance mechanisms among many civil society organizations and the need to strengthen their capacity to meet regulatory obligations.
While acknowledging that navigating numerous compliance requirements can be challenging, he said the programme would also provide an opportunity to identify obstacles faced by organizations and transform them into evidence-based advocacy for regulatory reforms.
“Where there are challenges, we will engage regulators and lawmakers to refine existing laws and ensure that the regulatory environment becomes more enabling for the sector as a whole,” Oluseyi stated.
Participants at the training are expected to deepen their understanding of regulatory obligations, strengthen institutional systems and develop strategies for protecting civic space while enhancing the resilience and sustainability of their organizations.
