BUSARI ABBASโ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ถ ๐. ๐ข๐น๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ณ ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐
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โParis, France – 5 June 2026
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โThe Executive Director of the Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO), Oyebisi Babatunde Oluseyi has called on G7 leaders to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive action to defend multilateralism, reverse aid cuts, and protect civic space.
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โEarlier today, delivering a keynote remarks at the Opening Session of the Civil 7 Summit in Paris, France, Oyebisi urged world leaders to match their commitments with concrete action, emphasizing the indispensable role of civil society in addressing today’s interconnected global challenges.
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โThe C7 Summit, convened under the theme “Global Justice and Solidarity: Mobilizing for Change,” brings together civil society leaders from across the world to develop policy recommendations ahead of the G7 Leaders’ Summit.
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โ”Civil society is not an accessory to global solutions, we are at the heart of them,” Oyebisi said during his keynote address.
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โ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
โAddressing international stakeholders, Oyebisi described the current global landscape as a defining test for international cooperation and governance.
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โHe highlighted a convergence of crises, including rising conflicts, growing humanitarian needs, worsening climate impacts, and increasing health challenges. These pressures, he noted, are occurring at a time when civic space is shrinking and development assistance is declining.
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โ”This is not a normal G7 year,” he said. “It is a test of whether the G7 will defend multilateralism, international law, and global solidarity in practice – not just in speeches.”
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โ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ
โSpeaking from the perspective of the Global South, Oyebisi stressed that civil society’s demands extend beyond appeals for assistance.
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โ”We are not here to ask for charity. We are calling for justice,” he stated.
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โHe called on global leaders to make bold political choices that address structural inequalities, democratize global financial governance, protect human rights, and ensure that affected communities have a meaningful voice in decision-making processes.
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โAs the leader of the peak body for CSOs in Nigeria, Oyebisi emphasized the need to rebalance global systems that often exclude those most affected by crises.
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โ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ณ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ
โOyebisi challenged G7 governments to align their actions with their stated commitments, drawing attention to contradictions between public declarations of support for multilateralism and policy decisions that undermine global cooperation.
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โ”You cannot claim to defend multilateralism while cutting aid, weakening institutions, or applying international law selectively,” he noted.
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โHe further noted that the G7’s significant influence over development finance, international institutions, and global policy frameworks must be matched by a corresponding commitment to responsibility and accountability.
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โ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐น ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ
โDrawing on the experiences of civil society organizations worldwide, Oyebisi highlighted the role CSOs play as frontliners in humanitarian response, human rights protection, community development, and accountability efforts.
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โHe therefore called for greater protection of civic space, flexible and sustainable funding mechanisms for civil society organizations, and institutionalized participation in global decision-making processes. “Without civil society, there is no accountability, no legitimacy, and no lasting progress,” he stressed.
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โ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต
โOyebisi’s further call aligns with the broader objectives of the C7 Summit, which is focused on advancing recommendations on the future of multilateralism, international humanitarian law, reform of global financial systems, the future of development assistance, and growing restrictions on civic space around the world.
โThe summit serves as a critical platform for civil society organizations to influence global policy discussions and contribute actionable recommendations to G7 leaders.
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โ๐ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
โClosing his address, Oyebisi called on G7 leaders to:
โ๐ Reverse cuts to Official Development Assistance;
โ๐ Recommit to global solidarity targets, including the 0.7%;
โ๐ Protect civic space and fundamental human rights; and
โ๐ Promote inclusive, accountable, and effective multilateralism.
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โ”The world does not need another declaration of concern,” he concluded. “It needs concrete choices.”
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โ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ก๐ก๐ก๐๐ข
โโThe Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO) is the first generic membership body and peak organization for civil society organizations in Nigeria. NNNGO works to strengthen civil society and facilitate effective advocacy on poverty, and other developmental issues.
โ#CallToAction
โ#Civil7Summit
โ#G7Summit
โ#GlobalJusticeandSolidarity
โ#MobilisingforChange
โ#LeavingNoOneBehind
โ#SustainableDevelopmentGoals
โ#GlobalGoals
