By Dr. Gbenga Adesunloro
Civil society in Nigeria is being squeezed by heavy regulations, shrinking freedoms, and rising digital restrictions. In this expert opinion, I examine the impact on grassroots organisations in the Southwest, recognise the efforts of Global Rights in convening the recent Southwest Regional Conference on Improving the Regulatory Environment for CSO Operations in Nigeria, and urge citizens to interrogate the 2025 State Ranking Dashboard as a tool for reform.
SHRINKING SPACE FOR CIVIC ACTION
Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria face increasing regulatory pressure. Laws such as CAMA 2020 and stringent Anti–Money Laundering/Counter–Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) rules were introduced to promote transparency. In practice, they often penalise the smallest actors — women-led cooperatives, youth collectives, and rural NGOs.
In Ibadan, education-focused NGOs have seen bank accounts frozen for missed filing deadlines. In Lagos, rights-based organisations suffer funding delays due to burdensome bank requirements. Large NGOs can cope with compliance costs. Grassroots groups cannot.
Beyond finance, states in the Southwest deploy informal restrictions. During #EndSARS, CSOs and activists had their accounts blocked on flimsy terrorism-financing allegations. In Ondo, environmental groups challenging illegal logging face registration roadblocks.
The message is clear: service delivery is tolerated, advocacy is punished.
The Digital Frontline
The problem extends to social media. Nigerians increasingly report deletion of accounts and pages critical of government, flagged under vague cyber policies. Citizens perceive this as an attempt to silence dissent. For young people whose activism thrives online, opaque takedowns erode trust and democratic expression.
The Way Forward
Two urgent reforms are needed to reverse this trend:
1. Risk-Based Compliance: Regulators (SCUML, CAC, FIRS) should design simplified compliance templates for small CSOs. They are not banks and should not be treated as such.
2. Charter on Civic Freedoms: Southwest states should adopt a civic charter protecting lawful protests, advocacy, and community campaigns, backed by an independent ombudsman.
And crucially, digital freedoms must be recognised as civic freedoms. Online regulation must protect rights, not stifle them.
A CALL TO ACTION
The Southwest has long been Nigeria’s hub of civic innovation. That tradition is now at risk. Regulation should build trust, not suspicion; it should enable voices, not silence them.
I commend Global Rights for bridging the divide between CSOs and government by convening the Southwest Regional Conference on Improving Regulatory Environment for CSO Operations in Nigeria. Their leadership shows that collaboration is possible.
Now, the task falls to citizens, policymakers, and civil society actors: Interrogate the 2025 State Ranking Dashboard — https://cso.globalrights.org/dashboard.
Use it to hold states accountable and demand reforms that balance transparency with freedom.
If the Southwest can lead with courage and fairness, it will once again set the pace for democratic resilience in Nigeria.
Gbenga Adesunloro is a civic space advocate and policy researcher from Ekiti State.