By NEXTER
The Nasarawa State NGO Network (NANGONET), in collaboration with the Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative (EGLAI) has trained non-governmental organisations based in the state on self-regulation, ethics and good governance.
Speaking at the event in Lafia, the Executive Director of Hope Rising for the Less Privileged and Vulnerable Foundation and Treasurer of NANGONENT,Aisha Eyibo, said the programme was designed to help organisations understand their regulatory obligations.
According to her, the training is aimed at strengthening the capacity of NGOs on regulation, ethics, and good governance in Nigeria, particularly in Nasarawa State.
She also noted that the training is equally intended to equip CBOs and NGOs with knowledge of mandatory government requirements and strengthen their ability to operate transparently and effectively.
The compliance areas, he explained, covered included CAC registration, state government registration, VAT filing, and submission of CAC annual returns.
“We want the government to partner with us as we impact the less privileged and support the government in reaching people in our communities.
“The goal is for CBOs to know what is expected of them, instead of waiting for government to chase them before they do the right thing,” she noted.
She called on the State Government to roll out a strategic action plan on Open Government Partnership (OGP).
“We are calling on Gov. Abdullahi Sule to constitute a committee so that we can have a state action plan. He is an action governor who has bought into OGP but the state is yet to do its strategic action plan,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr Abdullazeez Bako of the Centre for Citizens’ Rights said the purpose of the training was to educate NGOs on regulating themselves rather than waiting for external imposition.
“Our purpose of being here today is to do a step-down training for other NGOs in Nasarawa State on self-regulation, which entails transparency, accountability, and others. We are telling them how to regulate themselves,” Bako said.
He recalled that in 2024, the government sent a bill to the National Assembly seeking to regulate all NGOs, which civil society groups opposed.
“We said no because it is our duty to regulate ourselves, not the government. We took it upon ourselves by bringing in a self-regulation law to take care of ourselves,” he said
Mr Daniel Bature, a Lead Facilitator and representative of Advance Youth and Community Initiative, stressed that self-regulation is essential for NGOs to maintain public trust.
He advised organisations to secure legal status at the state or national level and to prioritize credibility, describing it as key to effective self-regulation.
