Centre LSD, OPG condemn ‘obnoxious bill’ by national assembly to scuttle transparency

The workshop concluded that recent legislative attempts to restrict civil society operations in Nigeria, particularly the NGO Regulation Bill, fundamentally violate constitutional freedoms and undermine the cooperative spirit required for effective governance. This strong condemnation highlights the tension between state control and the open participation necessary for democratic accountability, signaling that legal frameworks must protect rather than hinder civic engagement to maintain international credibility. Participants emphasized that the Open Government Partnership relies on genuine collaboration between government and civil society, rather than adversarial stances. There is a pressing need for civil society to adopt a partnership mindset, working jointly with state agencies to implement the National Action Plan. This approach ensures that commitments are not just signed but actively executed, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and mutual trust in public administration. This event is critical to open data discourse because it underscores that transparency initiatives fail without the legal space for independent oversight and public scrutiny. By urging stakeholders to leverage existing laws like the Freedom of Information Act and collaborate with media to expose non-compliance, the article affirms that open data is most effective when civil society is empowered to hold institutions accountable, ensuring that transparency leads to tangible improvements in governance and resource management.

Source: quicknews-africa.net
Published on 2025-11-28

Centre LSD, OPG condemn ‘obnoxious bill’ by national assembly to scuttle transparency

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