A coalition of civil society organisations has urged the National Assembly to withdraw the proposed Foreign Aid (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026, arguing that it could restrict civic participation and freedom of association.
The proposed legislation seeks to regulate and monitor the activities and funding of non-governmental and civil society organisations. It has passed first and second readings and is currently before the Senate Committee on Civil Society and Development Partners for legislative consideration.
The bill was first introduced in 2016 by the late member of the House of Representatives, Umar Jibril, and is currently sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Odeh Friday, said the coalition considered the proposed law repressive and unconstitutional.
The CSOs said the bill would impose extensive regulatory requirements on organisations that receive foreign grants, donations or technical support.
The statement read, “This bill is repressive and unconstitutional. It is an insidious state-sponsored attempt to police empathy, weaponise bureaucracy, and place undue restrictions on the fundamental right of citizens to support and care for one another.”
The coalition warned that the proposed regulations could extend beyond established NGOs to include community-based groups, religious welfare committees, hometown development unions, alumni associations and informal savings organisations.
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“Under the sweeping and broad definitions contained in the bill, an NGO is not simply an elite advocacy group based in Abuja. The legislation could also cover local church welfare committees, Friday mosque Zakat distribution networks, hometown development unions, university alumni associations and informal credit groups,” the coalition said.
According to the organisations, Nigeria already has regulatory bodies and legal frameworks overseeing non-profit organisations and financial transactions, including the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit.
“Nigeria already maintains extensive institutional oversight over the activities of non-governmental and not-for-profit organisations,” they said, arguing that the proposed legislation would create duplication within the existing regulatory system.
The coalition also faulted the proposed requirement for foreign-funded projects to conform to priorities determined by the government.
“Civil society exists partly to challenge official priorities, document abuses, advocate for marginalised groups and serve communities the state does not adequately reach,” the CSOs said.
They further raised concerns about the proposed penalties under the bill, including possible prison terms of up to five years for individuals and fines of at least N20m for organisations.
The coalition subsequently appealed to religious leaders, diaspora groups, student unions, market associations and Nigerians generally to oppose the proposed legislation.
“We do not need a license to care for our communities. We demand a complete withdrawal of this bill,” the CSOs said.