One of the pillars of a modern participatory democracy is the respect for freedom of expression and assembly — a key indicator of a governments respect for human rights and fundamental principles. To exercise their freedom of expression and assembly, Nigerians (mostly young people) in October 2020 took to the streets to express their grievances against police brutality, claiming their rights on an issue that has raged for years. These protests swept across the country and the globe

Download the document here

Civil society organisations collects a lot of personal data such as names, addresses, emails, telephone numbers, website addresses, social media handles and posts. These data are mostly collected from beneficiaries, staff, volunteers, donors, vendors, board and individuals who are only interested in receiving information (newsletters) about what your organisation does.

In developing the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), it is clear that the regulators were not thinking about nonprofits, their primary target seem to be companies in the business of collecting data however a further analysis of the broad scope of the rules capture almost any organisation who touches or processes data.

When linked with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which by extension have implications for the work of nonprofits. The GDPR defines personal data as “any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person”. It applies to any organisation that collects the data of EU residents, irrespective of whether payment is required.

Download the document here

Regulatory compliance has a major impact on the legitimacy, transparency, and accountability of the nonprofit sector. While there is now a review of the legal framework guiding the operations of organisations within the civil society sector, we need to understand if the sector, can comply and how they are responding through an assessment of their readiness and resources.

The survey provides insights into the trends occurring within the sector to help policymakers and nonprofit actors consider how they might best respond. As conversations on the review of CAMA unfolds, with changing rules and demands on organisations, it is increasingly clear we need to know what is happening with the sectors ability to comply and areas where its capacity needs to be strengthened.

The survey was completed between 30th May and 23rd September. This generated responses from 258 organisations across 4 regions (North Central, South West, North West and South East) of the country.

Download the document here

Background

More than three weeks ago, on August 17, 2020 precisely, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Companies and Allied Matters (CAMA) Bill into law. Trailing the President’s assent are various comments for and against some sections of the Act drawing considerable attention from the media, civil society sector, the private sector, and public alike.

As the Nigeria Network of NGOs, we sought to better understand how citizens and citizens-led organisations are interpreting the law. We engaged different stakeholders in the nonprofit sector and collated their opinions on shaping the future of nonprofit regulation through the Part F of CAMA. Through this exercise, we identified key trends, which we anticipate will significantly impact the implementation of CAMA in ways that cannot be ignored.

Download the document here

Background

Through a survey of Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO) members and the wider civil society community in Nigeria, launched between July and August 2020, we sought to capture COVID-19 related support that civil society organisations gave to communities across the country.

We wanted to hear from them how much they spent in Naira terms between March and June 2020, in which State and Local Government area, activities they spent on and group of beneficiaries. We were interested in hearing first-hand information how their support offered hope and resilience.

We received and analysed 132 responses from a range of organisations in 31 States of the Federation. This summary shows an analysis of their responses and identifies the significant role that nonprofits are playing in the nation’s response to address the Covid-19 pandemic.

Download the document here

It is a matter of deep concern that security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters in Lekki and other parts of the country on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 after repeated assurances by the government on the rights of citizens to peaceful protests. The barbaric and unconstructive approach to keeping protesters off the streets by the Nigerian government is even more regrettable at a time when citizens’ trust in the ability of government to address their concerns is at its lowest.

We are deeply concerned by the “military operation” at the Lekki tollgate. We call on President Buhari to reign in all security forces under his control as we do not expect this action from a nation that prides itself as a member of the Community of Democracies. The use of force has undermined the stability of the country, bringing back bad memories of the military era.

We maintain our position that the right to peaceful protest in a democracy is guaranteed under the Nigerian constitution and must always be respected. The recent breach of this right is unacceptable and truly disappointing. We want to be clear that the Lagos State and Federal Government of Nigeria will be held responsible for the death of innocent citizens expressing their legitimate displeasure at police brutality that has existed for far too long without meaningful action, on the part of government to address the issue before now.

We continue to urge all the 36 State Governors and Federal Government to ensure the timely release of all protesters, treatment of all wounded protesters, protection of lives and properties. We reaffirm the call by the civil society community across the country and globally on the need to investigate this act we have termed “crime against humanity”. The Federal Government under whose control the military operates must establish a mechanism to identify perpetrators of the heinous act at the Lekki tollgate and across the country. Accountability in this instance is crucial.

INTRODUCTION
Citizens and citizen organisations work during a period when technology is driving the interdependence that characterises the quest for change. Computers, mobile connectivity, applications, internet are shaping the way civil society organisations address their vision and mission in ways that bring out solutions and opportunities for growth.

Internet and digital technologies are rapidly transforming the way organisations deliver change across Nigerian communities. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and big data will change the way civil society organisations carry out their business, given the volume of data generated by the sector.

If civil society organisations must play a critical role in decades to come, they need to understand their digital rights so they can interpret the pros and cons of AI, ML and big data within the civic space. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent times has necessitated the need for nonprofits to be proactive, responsive, and inclusive in using the internet and digital technologies to do their work as we have never seen in times past.

Download the document here