Northern Pulse

By Abbas Bamalli

A European Union (EU-funded) project has commenced a two-day capacity-building workshop for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the North-West, to strengthen transparency and public confidence in civil society.

The training, which opened on Tuesday in Kano, is part of the Scaling the Adoption of Self-Regulation Nigeria project under the EU Strengthening Bridge (EU CSO-Bridge).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative (EGLAI).

The project, implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), brings together CSO leaders, subnational network leads and journalists to deepen understanding and practice of self-regulation within the sector.

Speaking at the event, EGLAI Team Lead, Mr Harry Udo, said the training targets CSO team leaders who will, in turn, transfer the knowledge gained to their members at state level.

“We are building the capacity of champions who will go back to multiply CSOs implementing self-regulation in their states.

“The goal is to get more organisations to adopt agreed self-regulation mechanisms that help them operate more effectively and efficiently,” Udo said.

He explained that the training focuses on key tools such as codes of conduct, minimum standards of operation and information disclosure practices.

“When organisations publish information about their work, people get to know them better. And the more people know about you, the stronger your credibility and reputation.

“Your reputational value is directly proportional to how visible and transparent you are,” he added.

According to Udo, strengthening self-regulation is critical to building trust among stakeholders, including government, regulators, communities, development partners and rights holders.

“This project is being implemented across the country. We have been to the Southeast, and now we are in the Northwest,” he said.

He said that the North-West states were represented by at least six CSOs each, whose capacities will be strengthened to serve as self-regulation champions, monitor civic space and report back to help improve the operational environment for CSOs at state level.

In a goodwill message, the Kano State Commissioner for Information and International Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, described the workshop as a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening democratic governance in Nigeria.

Represented by the Executive Director of the Community Rights Initiative of Nigeria (CORIN), Mustapha Chiroma, Waiya said CSOs play a vital role worldwide in deepening democracy, promoting accountability, shaping public policy and bridging the gap between government and citizens.

He, however, said, “The effectiveness and legitimacy of civil society depend largely on its commitment to transparency, integrity and self-regulation.”

NAN