Nigeria’s National Assembly, Anti-NGO Bill & Authoritarianism

Nigeria’s National Assembly has turned its sights on NGOs, which are bracing for a crackdown in 2018. The Yakubu Dogara led House of Representatives is desperately pushing to pass the ‘NGO Regulatory Bill’ that many analysts have warned would stigmatise NGOs, and set Nigeria on course toward authoritarianism and oppression.
 
 
The NGO bill is the latest in a series of measures tightening the democratic space, and deteriorating condition of the rule of law in the country. It has been extraordinary in the past two years or so to see how the National Assembly has taken a dim view of human rights. Our lawmakers, well paid for by tax-payers’ money to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the Federation, are using their legislative powers to limit critical voices and shrink the democratic space.
 
The tightening of controls is coming on the heels of the proposal by members of the House of Representatives to amend the constitution so that they could give themselves immunity. The bill, which in September 2017 was discussed at a public hearing is sponsored by deputy majority leader Umar Buba Jubril.
 
There is a litany of serious flaws in several of the 58 sections of the bill, and here are some of them: the bill would compel registration of NGOs (including those already registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act); heavily criminalize non-compliance with its provisions (up to 18 months in prison); ensure full executive control over the licensing, funding and supervision of operations of NGOs through a Board appointed by the president and dominated by political representatives.


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