INTRODUCTION:

With support from Oxfam in Nigeria, a two day civic space protection training was organized by the Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDEBUMOG) at Umneak Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Monday, 29th and Tuesday, 30th July 2024. It was part of F4A’s year 4 activities.

PARTICIPANTS:

Participants were drawn from members of the Nigerian Civic Protection Alliance (NCSPA), Shadow Budget Groups, civil society, women groups and grassroots stakeholders.

TECHNICAL SESSION/PRESENTATIONS:

1. Introduction to Fair for All (F4A) – Power of Voices (PVP) Pathways: Nigeria within the Context of F4A’s Global Community. Introduction of the F4A’s initiative and its relevance to Nigeria, emphasizing global connections and shared goals.
2. Introduction to Nigeria Civic Space Protection Alliance: A comprehensive overview of NCSPA’s mission, vision, and objectives was provided.
3. Democracy, Human Rights and Nigeria Civic Space Protection Alliance (NCSPA) NCC’s Perspectives: The NCC highlighted their views on deepening democracy, good governance, transparency, accountability and human rights within the context of protecting the civic space in Nigeria.
4. Situational Dynamics and Challenges of Civic Space in Nigeria: Setting the Agenda for NCSPA: Key challenges facing civic space in Nigeria were discussed, setting the stage for NCSPA’s strategic agenda.
5. Human Rights of Citizens and the Role of National Parliament: An exploration of the parliament’s role in policy reforms that safeguard citizens’ rights, monitoring government action to prevent encroachment into civic space, enquiries/protection against rights violation, protection of whistleblowers, promoting transparency in governance, and international cooperation. Engaging special committees (public petition, host communities, corporate social responsibility, human right etc.) and standing committees at the national parliament.
6. Nigeria Civic Space Alliance – Constructive Ways for Synergies with the Police and Other Security Agencies: Discussions on fostering collaborative relationships between NCSPA, the police, and other security agencies to protect civic space. The session harped on understanding the human right elements in the Police Act 2020 and modalities for engagements in protecting both rights and space of citizens.
7. Public Finance and Civic Space: Options for Democratic Alliance through Lobbying for Effective Funding of Nigeria’s Human Rights Agencies – Strategies to secure adequate funding for Civic Space and Human Right protection were examined. Funding Strategies and Template for Sustainable Funding for Alliance – Practical approaches to securing sustainable funding for NCSPA were shared.
8. Developing Strategic Plan for NCSPA: Fundamental Factors and Circle for Each Plan. Insights into essential elements and processes for an effective implementation of a 7 year Strategic Plan for NCSPA (2024-2031).
9. Discussion on Why Coalitions and Alliances Fail in Nigeria: Overcoming the Challenges in NCSPA – Identification of common pitfalls in Nigeria’s coalitions and strategies for overcoming these challenges. Also discussed were concrete Innovation for Synergies between Nigeria Civic Space Protection Alliance (NCSPA), Shadow Budget Groups (SBGs) and Other Actors in Human Rights Protection across Nigeria
10. Presentation of Draft NCSPA Strategic Plan: The draft strategic plan for NCSPA was presented and reviewed, including, the critical Role of Shadow Budget Groups for the Sustainability of NCSPA was also discussed, among others.

CONCERNS AND OBSERVATIONS:

Following the above presentations and robust discussions as well as good will messages from stakeholders, the following observations and concerns were made:

• That the Nigerian system has become suffocating on economic and democratic values. Democracy without its values, is like, playing on the intelligence of the citizens.
• That insecurity has continued to worsen across the country, despite huge allocations to security annually. Insecurity has worsened civic space challenges, as authorities, often, harps on insecurity to trample on the rights of citizens, especially, on freedom of expression, free movement and peaceful assembly, among others.
• That although open civic space, human rights, rule of law and democratic freedom are the pillars of democracy, civic space has continued to shrink as evidenced in gross violations of rights to freedom of expression, seeming privacy violations via technological means, stifling of free press, economic strangulation and subjugating poverty, among others. The most shocking is intolerance to voices of dissent. Citizens are often subjected to all forms of intimidation and victimization for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
• That people are hounded and attacked for exercising their rights, media houses and journalists face attacks and all forms of repression. These are in contravention to Nigeria’s 1999 constitution, as amended and other human rights instruments, which Nigeria is a signatory.
• Although the legislature, through its oversight functions and other legislative duties have a duty to protect peoples rights and civic space, it has not lived up to this duty. Sadly, parliament has continued to watch the civic space shrink steadily in Nigeria.
• That laws, policies and actions of public many office holders, do not consider citizens’ plights. For instance, despite the raging economic downturn and terrifying hunger, hardship and poverty that has hit hard like plague, added to hike in fuel and electricity costs, among others, insensitivity reigns in the mind of many in the corridor of power, some, are even comical about citizens suffering.
• Security operatives, particularly the police seem not to be fairly treated despite the importance of their work. Police is poorly funded, with dilapidating barracks, inadequate manpower/training, poor incentives and inadequate welfare. It is mind-wrenching that some police barracks are a resemblance of slums. Some kit themselves and take care of their logistics to do their works from their personal pockets. Police welfare should be addressed to enable them enjoy democracy and share the psychological gains with citizens for a conducive civic space.

RECOMMENDATIONS/ WAY FORWARD:

From the foregoing, we recommend as follows:

1. Government has a duty to promote and protect human rights of citizens always. Government should, therefore, begin to create enabling environment for citizens to breathe and exercise their rights.
2. Considering the importance of human rights and civic space to the survival of democracy, we call on the government to prioritize citizens’ interest and human rights/civic space protection in its agenda, policies and actions.
3. Government should take serious steps aimed at ensuring democratic freedom, safeguarding of civic space, human rights and rule of law. Government should allow citizens to exercise their rights of freedom to expression.
4. Authorities should ensure Incidents of rights violations and civic space suppression are properly investigated and state actors found culpable should be brought to book.
5. Tiers of government in Nigeria should wake up to their constitutional duty of protecting human rights by providing basic amenities to lessen the suffering and hardship citizens are subjected to daily. Such will reduce tensions that often force citizens to embark of agitations.
6. A safe and conducive civic space is an indication of a functional democracy, hence, the government in power should not take toy with this critical element for a sustainable democracy.
7. We caution all those advocating for a regime change through the military. Democracy, no matter how bad, is better than a minute of military rule. Nigeria should be a democratic model in Africa, irrespective of the ups and down of it.

COMMENDATIONS:

1. Participants commended NDEBUMOG and OXFAM for organizing the event.
2. The Organizers thanked participants for their commitment and charged them to be civic space and democracy protectors across their localities, while at the same time advocating for good governance.

SIGNED:

High Chief (Dr) George-Hill Anthony
CEO-Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group

Stiv Obodoekwe
Member-Nigeria Civic Space Protection Alliance