NIGERIA
WORKING GROUP (NWG)
Introduction
The
Nigeria Working Group (NWG) is a body comprising stakeholders in the
non-profit sector, representatives of non-profit organizations, NGOs.
Donor/support agencies, governments, INGOs, and other stakeholders especially
practitioners and professionals on a voluntarily basis, gathered to work out
an effective regulatory system for the non-profit sector in Nigeria.
Our
Mission
To
strengthen civil society and increase the efficiency, credibility,
accountability, integrity of non-profit organizations (NPOs/NGOs) in Nigeria.
Our
Objectives
-
To
collaborate as stakeholders in a partnership framework to draft a bill for
the effective regulation of the non-profit sector in Nigeria (by December
2003)
-
To
mobilize stakeholders in the non-profit sector to submit to the National
Assembly a draft law regulating non-profit organizations in Nigeria.
-
To
grow, empower and strengthen non-profits, and promote efficient,
transparent and accountable non-profit governance.
-
Encourage
strategic initiatives through local and international partnerships and
introduce mechanisms that will stimulate an exchange of knowledge, skills and
service between NPOs.
-
To
harmonize social welfare documents, the development sector and focus
government on social sector problems above the structural differentials of
each administration.
How
to Participate/Eligibility
Participation
in the Nigeria Working Group (NWG) is open to all non-governmental
organizations,
donor/support agencies, government and stakeholders in the non-profit
sector.
Background
Information
The
vague and complex nature of regulatory framework guiding NPO activities has
been the subject of concern to NGO practitioners/professionals,
governments, local, bilateral and multilateral donor/support agencies and other stakeholders for quite a
long-time.
While
NPOs/NGOs in nations such as India, South Africa, Botswana and Egypt have
succeeded in collaborating in designing bills that were passed into law to
regulate NPO/NGO activities in their countries, Nigeria, the self-styled “Giant of Africa”, has its NGO/CBO/NPO/CSO sector still operating
in an environment that stifles growth, compounds credibility problems and strangulating.
One
researcher in his conclusion after an extensive research sponsored by the
British Department for International Development (DFID) wrote this:
"This
Consultants is of the opinion that it is time that a specific statute is
enacted for regulating the activities of NGOs. Nigeria has certainly reached
the stage where NGOs have become an important factor in its development.
The
proposed statute might establish a body that would monitor and enhance the
activities of NGOs in Nigeria by setting ascertainable and realistic minimum
standards for NGO operations. This will create a more professional NGO
atmosphere and boost the confidence of in-country and international donors and
partners. One must however be mindful to the fact that many credible NGOs in
Nigeria have thrived under the present autonomous climate and tinkering with
the present operational climate may unwittingly put Government in a position
to inhibit much needed NGO contributions to a developing nation. It may be
more appropriate for the NGOs themselves to take the initiative in promoting
improved NGO practices. Thus the proposed body’s role should be very
carefully defined. The body may also not necessarily consist of civil
servants, on the contrary it could possibly consist of notable players in the
NGO community. Whatever the case this is definitely an issue, which if not
approached in the appropriate way could possibly pitch the Government against
the NGO community.
One
suggestion that has often been made to this Consultant in the past is that
NGOs and possibly INGOs need to provide a united front to Government. Where
these organizations cannot present their case for an improved enabling
environment in a well orchestrated and coordinated manner it may be difficult
for the Government to take such organization’s problems seriously."
The
Nigeria Working Group (NWG) seeks to mobilize stakeholders to work together in
achieving this imperative goal.
All
NGOs, Donor/support agencies, NGO/NPO professionals, INGOs, individuals,
governments and other
stakeholders wishing to participate in the NWG should.
Guidelines
-
Letter
of intention to participate in the NWG
-
Submit
memorandum on the features they feel the proposed NPO law should contain
and appropriate recommendations.
-
Résumé
of professional interested in working in the core working study group
which will be a group of professionals who will work on the technicalities
of the proposed law after study of prevailing environment and statutes of
8 nations worldwide
-
A
brief profile of your organization
-
A
diskette copy containing the memoranda and the résumé.
Call
For Memoranda DECI
has set up a Core Study Group to review all aspects of the Nigerian non-profit
sector and to make appropriate recommendations. Members
of the public are hereby invited to submit to the NWG memoranda on any aspect of
the Nigeria non-profit system of interest to them. One copy of such memoranda in
hard copy + disk copy should be sent to the address below by post. All
participants are expected to appear at a public forum on a date, time and venue
to be communicated to them by the NWG Secretariat, to make public presentation
on their memoranda as well as discuss issues in the memoranda before the general
public to answer questions raised and to build public input and participation in
the NPO/NGO law drafting process.
All
submissions of Memoranda, etc should be made mailed or delivered to:
Nigeria
Working Group (NWG) Secretariat
c/o
Development Clinic International
(DECI)
TF2-3, Third
Floor, NNDC Building, Box 3266
18/19 Ahmadu Bello Way, Box 3266
Kaduna Nigeria.
Or
USA:
2314
West Flournoy Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612.
Contact or
Phone
The
NWG General Working Group be inaugurated in June 2003. While membership into the General
Working Group is FREE, participation in the Core Study Group after
selection shall be reimbursed travelling and accomodational costs and
honorariums/consultancy fees paid to them. The final selection of the members of
the Core GRoup - NPO Law shall be at the discretion of the Panel of Selection
NWG
NWG
Core Study Group
A
group of professionals, resources persons, research fellows and academia in the
third sector shall be selected from the submissions into a Core Working
Study Group
whose duty shall be to:
-
Examine
all memoranda submitted to the NWG
-
Work
on the technicalities of the non-profit organizations (NPO) law.
-
Study
the NPO laws of 10 (ten) selected countries worldwide (United States and
Canada in North America, Brazil and Mexico in South/Latin America, India and
Japan in Asia, Egypt and South Africa in Africa, United Kingdom and Germany in
Europe with
a view to incorporate standard regulatory practices into the Nigeria NPO law.
The
NWG Core Study Group
meets periodically to carry out the onerous task of fashioning out the NPO law
in a retreat.
Sponsorship
The accommodation, feeding,
transportation and honorarium for all NWG Core Study Group members attendance shall be
borne
by DECI. Go
Home
Organized
by Development Clinic International (DECI) in
Collaboration With NGO Guide 2000, the All Nigeria Consortium of NGOs. Visit
NGO Guide Website
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