The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has described civil society organisations as a vital force in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy by promoting transparency, accountability and good governance.

Debo Adeniran, who is also the chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), said this in an interview with journalists in Lagos while speaking on the role of civil society in sustaining democratic governance.

He said civil society organisations serve as a bridge between the government and the people by speaking up whenever public officials fail in their responsibilities or violate the rights of citizens.

According to him, civil society groups derive their legitimacy from the people rather than the government, making them independent voices that defend the public interest.

“Civil society maintains the balance between the government and the governed. We ensure that neither the rulers nor the citizens overstep their boundaries.

“We speak where others may be afraid to speak and ensure that the voices of ordinary Nigerians are heard,” he said.

Mr Adeniran said promoting transparency, accountability and probity remained the primary responsibility of civil society organisations.

He noted that such groups advocate participatory governance by encouraging governments to involve citizens in decision-making, particularly during the budget preparation process.

According to him, development projects should reflect the actual needs of communities instead of being determined solely by public officials.

“Where communities need roads, government should not provide boreholes. Where they need schools, they should not be given projects that are of no benefit to them.

“Budget priorities should come from the people because government exists to serve them,” he said.

He said civil society organisations also carry out budget tracking, project monitoring and independent assessments to ensure public funds are properly utilised.

He added that they raise the alarm whenever projects fail to deliver value for money or fall short of approved standards.

Mr Adeniran, however, said civil society organisations faced several challenges, including inadequate funding, limited manpower and resistance from some government officials.

He said in spite of these challenges, civil society groups had continued to influence public policies and prevent the passage or implementation of policies that could undermine citizens’ rights.

“Within the limits of our capacity, we have been doing our best, although our best may not yet be enough.

“If not for civil society organisations, many policies and laws would have been more difficult for Nigerians.

“Government now considers how civil society will react before introducing many policies because it knows we will demand accountability,” he said.

Mr Adeniran urged governments at all levels to see civil society organisations as partners in nation-building rather than adversaries.

He stressed that greater cooperation between government and civil society would strengthen democratic institutions, improve public trust and promote inclusive development.

(NAN)