CSOs Must Move Beyond Paper Policies to Practise Accountability — EGLAI
By Auwal Ahmad Umar
Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria have been urged to move beyond drafting policies and ensure that ethical standards, transparency and accountability are reflected in their daily operations to strengthen public trust.
Harry Udoh, Team Lead of the Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative (EGLAI), made the call during a regional onboarding workshop in Yola, Adamawa State, organised to deepen the adoption and implementation of CSO self-regulation in the North-east.
The workshop was supported by the European Union-funded CSO Strengthening Bridge Project.
Mr Udoh said the programme was designed to equip selected champions with the knowledge and skills to promote good governance and accountability within civil society organisations across the region.
He explained that the workshop followed an earlier engagement held in February, adding that participants from the six North-east states were expected to share their knowledge with other CSO networks and organisations.
“Self-regulation is about getting civil society organisations to discipline themselves by looking at their governance, financial management and operational policies,” he said.
Mr Udoh stressed that having policies on paper was insufficient if organisations failed to implement them in their everyday activities.
He said CSOs must demonstrate their commitment to ethical conduct, responsible financial management and transparent decision-making to improve their credibility and strengthen relationships with government institutions, donors and the communities they serve.
According to him, civil society organisations play significant roles in Nigeria’s development by creating jobs, supporting vulnerable populations, reaching underserved communities and complementing government efforts in service delivery.
He highlighted the importance of these contributions in the North-east, where humanitarian and development organisations provide assistance to people affected by insecurity and other crises.
Explaining the framework guiding the initiative, Mr Udoh said CSOs agreed in 2023 to adopt a harmonised code of conduct covering governance, resource management, conflict of interest, safeguarding and ethical standards.
He said the framework includes peer accountability, organisational self-assessment and information disclosure to encourage organisations to evaluate their performance and demonstrate compliance with established standards.
According to him, the self-assessment mechanism enables organisations to determine whether their operations comply with the code of conduct and applicable national regulations.
He added that information disclosure encourages organisations to make details of their activities, financial statements and audited accounts available to relevant stakeholders.
Mr Udoh said accountability should extend beyond donor agencies to include government institutions, employees, peer organisations and beneficiaries.
“You are not only going to be accountable to the donors, but you need to be accountable to government, your peers, the staff of your organisation and the beneficiaries of the work that you do,” he said.
He explained that a broader accountability system would help organisations earn public confidence, maintain their legitimacy and become more responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.
The EGLAI team lead identified limited knowledge of legal and administrative requirements as one of the challenges preventing some organisations from complying fully with existing regulations.
He said the self-regulation initiative was intended to address these gaps by helping organisations strengthen their internal systems and understand their obligations under relevant regulatory frameworks, including those administered by the Corporate Affairs Commission and tax authorities.
While acknowledging the importance of government oversight, Mr Udoh cautioned against introducing additional legislation without considering existing laws and regulatory mechanisms.
He argued that overlapping regulations could create unnecessary administrative burdens for organisations already required to meet multiple compliance obligations.
Referring to proposed legislation on foreign non-governmental organisations, he questioned the need for additional provisions where similar requirements might already be addressed by existing laws and regulatory institutions.
He, however, clarified that self-regulation was not intended to shield civil society organisations from legitimate government oversight but to encourage greater discipline, transparency and compliance within the sector.
Mr Udoh expressed optimism that sustained implementation of the framework would help build a stronger and more credible civil society sector capable of contributing to national development and holding public institutions accountable.
He urged the participants to apply the lessons from the workshop in their organisations and encourage other CSOs to embrace the initiative.
Also speaking, Shuibu Ibrahim, a participant from Maiduguri, said self-regulation would only be effective if organisations ensured that their policies were understood and consistently implemented by staff.
Mr Ibrahim observed that many non-governmental and development organisations had formal policy documents, but the provisions were not always adequately understood or followed by employees responsible for daily operations.
He said strengthening institutional governance required translating written policies into practical measures through ethical conduct, transparency and peer accountability.
He urged participants to share the knowledge gained at the workshop with colleagues and partner organisations that could not attend the programme.
Mr Ibrahim commended EGLAI and its funding partners, including the European Union, for supporting efforts to address capacity gaps in the humanitarian and development sectors.
He said the workshop had helped simplify complex operational frameworks and make them easier for civil society organisations to understand and implement.