The Executive Summary

The purpose of this research is to better understand the current landscape of civil society regulations in Nigeria, to contribute to and bring knowledge to national conversations on civil society regulations and to examine best practices and tools for self-regulation.

More specifically it aims to:
Advance knowledge and understanding of the legal and institutional regulatory frameworks affecting CSOs’ operations, citizen participation, access to government data, and engagement in policy and governance processes.

Advance knowledge and understanding of relevant regulatory policies, barriers, and facilitators, with variation by states

Data was gathered to address research questions in two steps, first a database of statutory civil society regulations was created based on secondary data from
previous studies and a new, web-based search to document existing regulations. Additional conceptual literature (already in our possession and previously reviewed) also formed part of the review process.

Data on statutory and self-regulation initiatives was searched at the states within sub-national networks and nonprofits. Additional information was found through extensive outreach and online search with keywords. This resulted in an updated database and individual review of statutory regulations and self-regulation initiatives.