Kano: A European Union-funded project has launched a two-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening the transparency and public trust of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the North-West. This initiative is part of the Scaling the Adoption of Self-Regulation Nigeria project under the EU Strengthening Bridge (EU CSO-Bridge).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Ethics and Good Leadership Awareness Initiative (EGLAI) organised the workshop, with the project being implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The event convenes CSO leaders, subnational network leads, and journalists to deepen their understanding and implementation of self-regulation within the sector.
Mr Harry Udo, the EGLAI Team Lead, noted that the training is focused on empowering CSO team leaders who will disseminate the acquired knowledge to their state-level members. ‘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.
The training covers essential tools such as codes of conduct, minimum standards of operation, and information disclosure practices. Udo emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, ‘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.’
Strengthening self-regulation is vital to building trust among stakeholders, including government, regulators, communities, development partners, and rights holders, Udo added. He highlighted that the project is being implemented nationwide, having previously been conducted in the South-East, and now focusing on the North-West.
The workshop saw participation from at least six CSOs from the North-West states, whose capacities will be enhanced to act as self-regulation champions, monitor civic spaces, and report back to improve the operational environment for CSOs at the state level.
In a goodwill message, the Kano State Commissioner for Information and International Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, represented by Mustapha Chiroma, the Executive Director of the Community Rights Initiative of Nigeria (CORIN), described the workshop as a strategic intervention to bolster democratic governance in Nigeria. Waiya underscored the critical role CSOs play globally in deepening democracy, promoting accountability, shaping public policy, and bridging the gap between government and citizens, while affirming that the effectiveness and legitimacy of civil society rely heavily on its commitment to transparency, integrity, and self-regulation.