By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
More than 70 Nigerian, African and international civil society organisations on Monday asked the National Assembly to immediately withdraw two controversial bills they say are designed to tighten government control over NGOs and social media platforms.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja, the coalition described the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026, SB.1034, and a separate proposal to compel social media companies to open offices in Nigeria as part of a broader push to shrink civic space.
The groups said the timing could not be worse. With the 2027 general elections approaching, they argued, Nigeria should be expanding democratic participation, not passing laws that encourage fear, self-censorship and intolerance of dissent.
Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office in May 2023, the coalition noted, the government has increasingly relied on restrictive laws, strategic lawsuits and arrests to go after journalists, bloggers, rights defenders and civil society groups.
They cited specific cases to back the claim. These include the ongoing prosecution of activist Omoyele Sowore, pressure on the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, and repeated use of the Cybercrimes Act against critics.
International data also supports the concern, they added. In May 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists recorded 91 cases of journalists arrested, attacked or harassed across 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory in the first three years of this administration.
The coalition said the pending bills are not isolated. Rather, they form a coordinated legislative effort to extend executive oversight into civil society, independent media and digital spaces, areas that have traditionally provided checks on power.
At the centre of their alarm is SB.1034. The bill proposes to create a Foreign Aid Regulatory Commission with sweeping powers to register NGOs, demand financial records, conduct inspections and audits, and impose sanctions for non-compliance.
Under Sections 3 to 5, FARC would enforce vague “national policies and priorities.” The groups said this duplicates the mandates of the CAC, EFCC and SCUML, and gives one new agency broad discretionary authority without evidence that existing institutions have failed.
Sections 6 to 8 would make registration mandatory within 30 days and criminalise failure to register. Sections 9 to 11 would require annual audits and force foreign-funded projects to align with government-defined development priorities.
The organisations warned that this could allow the executive to interfere directly in human rights monitoring, anti-corruption work, legal aid, election observation and public interest litigation carried out by independent groups.
Sections 12 to 16 introduce heavy penalties, including fines, imprisonment and licence revocation. The bill also defines “foreign aid” so broadly that it could cover almost all international financial and technical support to Nigerian organisations.
The second proposal, the coalition said, would require social media platforms to establish physical offices in Nigeria or face a ban. They called it unnecessary and disproportionate, and warned it could be used to pressure companies into censorship.
Both bills, the groups argued, violate Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution on freedom of expression, assembly and association, and Section 22 on the media’s role in holding government accountable. They also breach Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter and the ICCPR.
Citing UN and African Commission guidelines, the coalition said states must facilitate the work of associations, not control them. They noted that blanket regulation of non-profits also conflicts with FATF Recommendation 8 and recent rulings by the African Court and the European Court of Justice.
The groups stressed that international support is not foreign interference. It funds humanitarian aid, anti-corruption advocacy, legal aid and election monitoring, all of which strengthen constitutional governance in Nigeria.
They listed four demands for the Senate President, Speaker and all lawmakers: withdraw SB.1034 and the social media bill, ensure future laws comply with constitutional and international standards, hold genuine consultations with stakeholders, and reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law.
“The National Assembly now faces a defining constitutional choice,” the statement said. “It can expand executive control and shrink civic space, or it can uphold the Constitution and protect democratic governance.”
