Nigeria: Nigerian Lawmakers Pass Bill to Compel NGOs to Disclose Foreign Donors for Second Reading

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Premium Times report from Abuja, said Nigeria’s Senate has advanced a bill that would require non-governmental organisations operating in the country to register foreign aid and donor-funded projects with the government. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced passage for second reading during Wednesday’s plenary after a voice vote, and referred the bill to the Senate Committees on National Planning and Economic Development and Finance for a public hearing, with a four-week reporting deadline.

The bill is sponsored by Ibrahim Dankwambo, senator for Gombe North and a former Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the report, it would create a National Donor Coordination Framework, establish a national database of foreign assistance, require public disclosure of funding sources and project implementation details, and introduce penalties for diversion, misuse or failure to register donor funds. It also seeks to bring donor-funded interventions into government budget planning.

Dankwambo argued that large sums in foreign aid reach NGOs without enough scrutiny over their sources or intended use, which he said raises national security and accountability concerns. Other senators cited by Premium Times, including Tahir Monguno, Barau Jibrin, Adamu Aliero, Sani Musa and Adams Oshiomhole, broadly supported tighter disclosure and oversight, with some calling for the framework to also cover funds channelled through state governments.

The report noted that Nigeria has many NGOs working in areas such as humanitarian relief, health, education, agriculture, governance, climate and poverty reduction, including in conflict-affected regions. NGOs currently register with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and some with the anti-money-laundering unit under the EFCC, but Premium Times reported there is no comprehensive law requiring disclosure of all foreign donor-funded projects to the federal government.