Foreign aid bill: National Assembly threatening civic space — NGE, SERAP

The National Assembly has been called upon to withdraw the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency, and Disclosure) Bill, 2026 (SB.1034), which has been described as unnecessary, unconstitutional and a threat to civic space, media freedom and democratic participation.

The call was made in a joint statement issued by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), in which they also warned that they would consider legal action if the bill is passed into law despite the constitutional and human rights concerns they have raised.

In the statement dated August 29, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and NGE General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, the groups asked the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to reject the bill sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo.

According to the statement, the proposed legislation would establish a broad regulatory framework for civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), independent media organisations, religious bodies, humanitarian organisations and other private entities receiving foreign assistance.

The groups, while acknowledging that the bill is presented as an initiative aimed at promoting transparency, said its provisions could give the government extensive powers over organisations receiving foreign grants, donations, technical assistance and other forms of foreign support.

SERAP and NGE maintained that the establishment of the Foreign Aid Regulatory Commission (FARC), as proposed by the bill, would empower it to register organisations and private entities receiving foreign assistance, maintain databases, compel disclosures, inspect records, conduct audits and investigations, monitor the utilisation of foreign assistance, issue directives and regulations, and impose administrative sanctions.

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They insisted that such powers go beyond ordinary financial regulation and could expose legitimate organisations to intrusive government supervision.

The groups further raised concerns over provisions requiring recipients of foreign assistance to disclose information about the sources, amounts and conditions attached to the assistance, as well as details of implementing partners.

Such information, they said, would be placed on a proposed National Foreign Aid Register.

The NGE and SERAP also alleged that the bill would regulate how foreign assistance is utilised and require foreign-funded projects to align with government-defined national development priorities.

The groups said the proposed sanctions contained in the bill were particularly concerning, adding that civil society organisations and private entities could face fines of at least N20 million, while organisations could also risk suspension or revocation of their operating licences for non-compliance.

Individuals, according to the organisations, could face substantial fines and imprisonment.

They argued that the severity of the proposed penalties, combined with the commission’s regulatory powers, could create a chilling effect on legitimate civil society and media activities.

The groups expressed concerns about independent journalism, noting that many media and civil society organisations rely on foreign grants to fund investigative journalism, fact-checking, journalist safety, media development and other public-interest initiatives.

The NGE and SERAP warned that placing such organisations under an additional executive-controlled regulatory framework could increase government leverage over their operations and potentially encourage self-censorship.