An alliance of international non-governmental organisations providing humanitarian and development assistance in Nigeria under the body of Nigeria INGO Forum (NIF) has said Nigeria’s tough regulatory environment has made it difficult for its members to operate and deliver humanitarian services to underprivileged people and populations affected by conflict in the North-East and other affected states.
The INGOs said in carrying out their work, they experience bureaucratic hurdles such as delays in the renewal of host country agreements, visa restrictions and issues with multiple taxation at federal and state levels and resource constraints.
NIF director, Lynn van Beek said recent challenges in the regulatory environment have underlined once again the necessity of providing a platform for meaningful dialogue between INGOs and government authorities.
She made the remarks at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning One Day Interactive Forum with INGO Community and Other Stakeholders in Abuja.
“The dynamic and evolving regulatory environment remains laden with consequential challenges in the form of bureaucratic and administrative impediments to our operations. Through this event we shall confront the challenges themselves so that we continue our work. I am confident that the deliberations today will further cement the partnership, deepen our relationship and understanding of the regulatory environment, and provide a clear road map toward addressing the challenges before us,” Beek said yesterday.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, who described the NGOs as valuable developmental partners, urged them to always “adhere to the established rules of engagement and also to strive for even greater levels of collaboration and innovation that will amplify the impact of your efforts.”
Mr Bagudu said the NGOs have been instrumental in complementing government efforts by delivering critical services and support to vulnerable populations. “Their work has significantly impacted the lives of countless Nigerians, helping to build stronger and more resilient communities.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the House Committee on CSOs and Development Matters, Victor Obuzo, has disclosed that the lawmakers in the Green Chambers are building an application tagged “Development Partnership System” that would serve as a central vase for information centres on the activities and operations of all NGOs in Nigeria. Obuzo said among other objectives, the App is designed to provide a single dashboard to get information on Nigerian NGOs.
“With this, it will be easy to monitor the operations of everyone operating in this place,” Obuzo stated. He however failed to give more details about the capabilities of the application.
