The Role of Civil Society in Sustaining Reforms in Nigeria

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The Role of Civil Society in Sustaining Reforms
in Nigeria

• By
• Uche Igwe MNES
• Publish What You Pay Nigeria/NEITI Civil Society
  Liaison
• At the Global Civil Society Forum Singapore
• Monday 18th September 2006

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Outline

• Introduction
• Civil Society in Nigeria before 1999
• Breaking the us and them dichotomy The NEITI
  Example
• What Role for Civil Society in Reforms and
  shaping good governance?
• Challenges to Strengthening the Engagement
• The Road Ahead

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Introduction

• It is indeed true that the old notion of
  governance ,one which suggested governance was an
  exclusive domain of governments is fast breaking
  down.
• The expanding role civil society groups have
  assumed, in the development of modern society has
  become so important that no government desirous
  of fully harnessing the potentials can ignore
  this anymore
• A weak civil society is a symptom of budding
  political and social instability
• However, a vibrant civil society is an essential
  building
• block for democratic survival

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Introduction.contd.

• It is therefore longer contentious to say that
  without the active involvement of civil society,
  we would live in a world ridden with much more
  violence and human right abuses, burdened with
  greater social injustice and equipped with less
  sensitivity to the plight of citizens!

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Civil Society in Nigeria before 1999

• I thought it is best to review first generally
  what constitutes civil society generally
• Civil Society according to the Centre for Civil
  Society at the LSE that many seem to agree to is
  the space between the family, state and market
• Another author defines it as a bewildering array
  of organizations, some progressive, others
  conservative, some civil others uncivil
• It generally constitutes of NGO, CBOs, faith
  groups, women groups etc
• Out of these the most visible have been the non
  governmental organizations NGOs.
• In Nigeria, NGO activities flourished most as
  human right groups campaigning for democracy
  against the Military Rule especially but not
  exclusively as an aftermath of the annulment of
  June 12 1993 elections

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Civil Society in Nigeria Before 1999

• Let me place on record the unrelenting role of
  civil society in Nigeria in confronting and
  ultimately frustrating military dictatorship in
  Nigeria.
• However the style and tactics that was effective
  pre 1999 still forms the background of what in my
  view the response of civil society engagement
  with our emerging democracy
• That is to say the tone of the music changed but
  the dancers on both sides continued with their
  steps

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Breaking the Us and Them Dichotomy The NEITI
Example

• One thing that lingered from our days under the
  military is the atmosphere of mutual suspicion
  that existed between civil society groups and
  government
• This generally led weak inter-phase between
  citizens and their government and general apathy
• This apathy coincided with the time when the
  President kick started the reforms in the oil and
  gas sector by signing on behalf of Nigeria to the
  Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
  (NEITI).

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The NEITI Example Cont.d

• The Multi Stakeholder nature of the National
  Stakeholders Working Group, a body inaugurated by
  the President to implement NEITI constituted
  Civil Society Representatives.
• Even though the make up of the CSO team in the
  NSWG received wide criticism from some sections
  of civil society, however it was the first time
  government and civil society sat on the same
  table to collective fashion out a policy
  direction for our country

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What Role for Civil Society in Reforms and
Shaping Governance?

• The war against corruption as is going on
  Nigerian is a step in the right direction
• However cleaning up institutions without allowing
  citizens to develop the knowledge and skills that
  will trigger civic competence at the grassroots
  will only lead to policy discontinuity
• In this regard civil society groups who enjoy
  trust among their members are best positioned to
  become ready interlocutors of government policy
  at the grassroots level

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Role of Civil Society cont.d

• Checking Corruption and Abuse of Power (Whistle
  Blowing)
• Stimulating and Leading Debates
• Free Flow of Information The media is a
  barometer for testing the effect and efficacy of
  the reforms
• Collaboration in Diagnosis and Feed Back
• Design and implementation of programs.
  Distinctive in style, symbiotic in intent and
  complementary in objective

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Role of Civil Society Cont.d

• Monitoring
• Government cannot effectively monitor herself.
  Indeed, I respectfully argue fact that the
  Nigeria is monitoring NEEDS/SEEDs implementation
  is faulty!
• CSO groups should work with government in
  collecting designing the criteria while the real
  monitoring should be left with civil
• society
• Strategic Alliance with the Legislature to ensure
  constituency feedback information sharing

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Challenges to Strengthening the Engagement

• Government must increasingly tolerate dissenting
  views in a democracy
• Collective Effort must be made to build back
  capacity on both sides, data collection,
  analysis, research and dissemination of results
• Constructive Partnership with the media with
  emphasis on independence and objectivity

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The Road Ahead

• Sustainability of the reforms can only be
  achieved when the ordinary citizens feel a true
  sense of ownership and are willing campaign to
  hold governments accountable to them.
• This can only happen through revamping the civic
  infrastructure through grassroots mobilization
  and social engineering.

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Finally

• As democracy spreads around the world the
  realization is growing that a nations political
  future, its economic strength and its very
  identity will be shaped by the creation of a more
  transparent partnership with a vibrant civil
  society
• J. Brian Atword
• Former Administrator of USAID

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Last Word

• As the lifespan of the present administration
  comes to an end. Our greatest concern as a
  nation is to evolve creative strategies to
  insulate the achievements so far recorded from
  the virus of reversal or the hypocritical
  politics of duplication by building alliance
  with citizens.
• This is a time for action, not inaction

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I thank you for your kind Attention!