Tinubu orders quarterly government-CSO policy dialogue

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the establishment of a quarterly government-civil society policy dialogue forum to institutionalise citizens’ participation in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.

The President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume, issued the directive on Friday at the 2026 National Civil Society Organisation Summit in Abuja.

Tinubu said the proposed forum would provide a structured platform for evidence-based advocacy and ensure that community-level concerns were reflected in government decisions.

He also pledged to expand Nigeria’s civic space to enhance social accountability and ensure greater collaboration with accredited civil society organisations, CSOs, on transparency in public finance, budget tracking and monitoring of humanitarian and grassroots interventions.

Tinubu said the initiative was part of efforts to strengthen public trust and institutional accountability as his administration pursued its reform agenda.

The President explained that the summit, coming shortly after Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, represented a reaffirmation of the social contract between the state and citizens.

The civil society had 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 noted.

“My administration firmly believes 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 said.

In the same vein, the President acknowledged the difficulties created by the economic reforms embarked upon by his administration since 2023. However, he said the country was moving from reforms towards prosperity.

While stressing that economic growth must translate into social inclusion, Tinubu added that government alone could not achieve the objective.

“Hence, we are reaching out to the left out,” he said, while advocating stronger partnerships among government, civil society and other stakeholders.

The President identified four areas for deeper government-CSO collaboration, beginning with the quarterly policy dialogue forum to be established by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The areas identified include poverty reduction, youth and women empowerment, health, education, climate resilience and peace-building.

He said the forum would facilitate evidence-based advocacy and enable community insights to feed into policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.

Going forward, according to the President, CSOs would be repositioned as key drivers of efforts to localise 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.

On national cohesion, Tinubu urged CSOs to remain a stabilising force by countering false information, promoting interfaith dialogue and advocating inclusive governance. He also urged the civic organisations to play a prominent role in preparations for the 2027 general elections through voter education, election monitoring and advocacy for electoral reforms.

Tinubu said the credibility of the electoral process would require coordinated efforts involving civil society, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, the media and citizens.

Meanwhile, at the summit, CSOs 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 and the Director-General of the Civil Society Organisations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, CSCHEI, Ambassador Kunle Yusuff, said CSOs possess extensive grassroots information that could help the government identify emerging problems and design more responsive interventions.

Yusuff said CSCHEI was working with about 3,700 accredited civil society and community-based organisations across 485 areas, describing the network as a potential bridge between communities and government. According to him, the network provided access to community-level data and early-warning information that could support national planning and interventions.

“For too long, policy has been formulated for people without people,” he said, adding that the summit was proposing 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.

Yusuff said the proposed framework would provide a mechanism for monitoring government policies, budgets and electoral promises, while ensuring that information generated from communities reached relevant authorities.

“We are not here to complain. We are here to make a positive contribution that will make Nigeria a better place to live,” Yusuff added, noting that civil society leaders had previously submitted nine recommendations to the Presidency, with three already receiving government attention.

Yusuff, in the sand vein, urged the private sector to align its corporate social responsibility programmes with national development priorities. He said civil society could provide community-level data and early warnings, government could provide policy direction and implementation, while the private sector could contribute resources and technical expertise.

The representative of the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Ambassador Lawrence Olufemi, said the institute remained committed to strengthening democratic and political institutions.

He said NIPSS had developed programmes aimed at improving inter-party democracy, promoting political stability and strengthening peace, equality, diversity and transparency within political parties. Olufemi said stronger political institutions were essential to sustaining democratic development and ensuring that national priorities were effectively translated into policy.

The summit brought together government officials, civil society leaders and other stakeholders, who brainstormed on national development, skills development, technology, traditional institutions and governance.

Tinubu orders quarterly government-CSO policy dialogue