A coalition of 73 civil society and non-governmental organisations has called on the Nigerian government to address the systemic issues fueling insecurity in the country, including poverty, inequality, and corruption.
The groups also urged the government and military leadership to work constructively with NGOs to combat terrorism and effectively support affected communities.
The statement was signed by prominent organisations such as 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth Initiative, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Accountability Lab, Nigeria, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Amnesty International Nigeria, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), BudgIT Foundation, Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Centre for Community Empowerment in Conflict and Peacebuilding – Kaduna and Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT).
Others are: Centre for Global Tolerance and Human Rights, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Centre LSD, Centre for Social Centre for Justice Reform, Centre for Transparency Watch Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Community Life Project (CLP), Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Connected Development (CODE), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), EIE Nigeria. Elixir Trust Foundation, Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability, Environmental Rights Action, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA), Falana and Falana’s Chambers, Global Rights, Good Governance Team, Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Hope Behind Bars Africa, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Human Rights Social Development and Environmental Foundation, INVICTUS AFRICA, Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Lawyers Alert, Media Initiative for Transparency in Extractive Industries (MITEI), Media Rights Agenda, Mothers and Marginalized Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre), Nigeria Network of NGOs, Open Society on Justice Reform Project, Order Paper, Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN), Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Partners West Africa, Policy Alert, Praxis, Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), RULAAC – Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Say NO Campaign – Nigeria, Say No Campaign, Sesor Empowerment Foundation, Social Action, Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), State of the Union (SOTU), Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG),West Africa Civil Society Forum (WASCSOF), Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Women in Media Communication Initiative (WIM), Women in Mining, Nigeria, World Impact Development Foundation, Yiaga Africa and Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC).
The coalition criticised recent claims by retired military generals that NGOs and international agencies contribute to sustaining terrorism in Nigeria.
“We strongly condemn this act of stigmatising and targeting the NGO sector,” the statement reads.
“Rather than addressing the systemic failures that have allowed terrorism to thrive, these accusations shift blame onto organisations that step in to support communities abandoned by the state.”
The coalition emphasised that the government should focus on disrupting terrorist funding and logistics networks, improving intelligence gathering, and enhancing operational capacity.
They also called for transparency in defence spending and border management.
Highlighting the importance of civil society in fostering peace and development, the statement warned against inflammatory comments, which could endanger humanitarian workers and deepen the crisis.
The groups reiterated their commitment to addressing insecurity through collaboration. They urged the government to align its efforts with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to tackle grievances driving terrorism and extremism.
