A coalition of more than 80 Nigerian, African and international civil society and human rights organisations has called on the National Assembly to immediately withdraw a series of bills they describe as repressive and unconstitutional, warning that the proposed laws pose a serious threat to civic freedoms, democratic governance and the rule of law.
At a joint press conference on Monday, the coalition expressed particular concern over the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026 (SB.1034) and a separate proposal seeking to compel social media platforms to establish physical offices in Nigeria or risk being barred from operating in the country.
According to the organisations, the bills form part of what they described as a broader pattern of shrinking civic space under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging increasing reliance on restrictive laws, arbitrary arrests, politically motivated prosecutions and intimidation of journalists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations.
The coalition argued that the proposed Foreign Aids Bill, although presented as a transparency measure, would grant sweeping powers to a proposed Foreign Aid Regulatory Commission (FARC) to register, inspect, audit, sanction and suspend organisations receiving foreign assistance.
They said the bill duplicates the responsibilities of existing regulatory agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), while creating an additional regulator with extensive discretionary powers over non-governmental organisations.
According to the coalition, provisions of the bill requiring mandatory registration, extensive reporting obligations, annual audits and alignment of foreign-funded projects with government-defined national development priorities could undermine the independence of civil society organisations engaged in human rights advocacy, anti-corruption work, public interest litigation and humanitarian assistance.
The organisations also criticised the proposed legislation requiring social media companies to maintain physical offices in Nigeria, arguing that such a requirement could increase governmental leverage over digital platforms, facilitate censorship and discourage innovation and investment.
“The timing of these proposals is particularly concerning as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections,” the coalition said.
“Rather than creating an open environment where citizens, journalists, civil society organisations and political actors can participate freely, these measures risk entrenching fear, self-censorship and intolerance of dissent.”
The coalition maintained that the proposed bills violate constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and media freedom contained in Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
It further argued that the Foreign Aids Bill conflicts with international standards, including the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa, and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendation 8, which advocates proportionate, risk-based regulation of non-profit organisations.
The coalition warned that international support remains critical for many Nigerian civil society organisations involved in election observation, legal aid, humanitarian assistance, anti-corruption advocacy and governance reforms, stressing that foreign funding should not be equated with foreign interference.
Among its demands, the coalition urged the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and all members of the National Assembly to withdraw the Foreign Aids Bill, the proposed social media regulation bill and other pending legislation that unjustifiably restricts civic space.
It also called on lawmakers to ensure future legislation affecting civil society, digital rights and media freedom complies with the Constitution and Nigeria’s regional and international human rights obligations, while engaging in broad consultations with civil society, journalists, development partners and other stakeholders before enacting reforms.
“The National Assembly now faces a defining constitutional choice,” the coalition stated. “It can enact legislation that expands executive control, shrinks civic space and accelerates democratic decline, or it can uphold the Nigerian Constitution, honour Nigeria’s binding regional and international human rights obligations, and reaffirm the country’s commitment to democratic governance, accountability and the rule of law.”
The statement was endorsed by 86 organisations, including ActionAid Nigeria, Amnesty International Nigeria, BudgIT Foundation, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Connected Development (CODE), Global Rights, Media Rights Agenda, SERAP, Yiaga Africa, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), among others.
