KILL SB 1034: NIGERIA DOES NOT NEED A LAW THAT PUTS CIVIL SOCIETY UNDER GOVERNMENT WATCH
- League For Social Justice
- 10 minutes ago
- 3 min read
August 14, 2026
The League for Social Justice (LSJ) strongly opposes the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026 (SB 1034) and calls on the Nigerian Senate to halt further consideration of the legislation and allow the bill to die.
Introduced on May 6, 2026 by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and now past second reading, SB 1034 claims to promote transparency. We agree that government has a legitimate interest in preventing money laundering, terrorist financing, and the diversion of charitable funds. Civil society must be accountable.
But transparency is not the same as control — and SB 1034 crosses that line.
A Law That Turns Oversight Into Domination
This bill would give government sweeping regulatory power over organizations whose mission often requires scrutinizing government itself. Groups investigating corruption, exposing abuses, monitoring elections, defending rights, educating citizens, or amplifying marginalized voices should not be placed under the watch of the very institutions they may need to challenge.
A system where the scrutinized gains power over the scrutinizers is an invitation to intimidation.
The Real Threat Is the Chilling Effect
The most dangerous laws are not those that ban speech outright, but those that make speaking too risky, too costly, or too burdensome.
An organization contemplating an investigation into corruption should never have to wonder whether its funding will invite retaliation from a government regulator.
Under SB 1034:
Anti-corruption investigators could fear retaliation for their funding sources.
Human‑rights groups might hesitate to document abuses.
Election‑monitoring organizations could worry that donor scrutiny becomes political pressure.
Nigerians abroad might fear that supporting civic organizations at home will put those groups under suspicion.
This is how civic space shrinks — quietly, administratively, and effectively.
Nigeria Already Has the Laws It Needs
Nigeria is not lacking in regulatory tools. Corporate registration, taxation, anti‑money‑laundering laws, terrorism‑financing regulations, and anti‑corruption frameworks already exist.
Civil Society Is Not an Arm of Government
Perhaps most troubling is the bill’s suggestion that foreign‑supported activities should align with government‑defined priorities. That is not how democracy works.
Sometimes protecting Nigeria means disagreeing with the Nigerian government.
Organizations that fight corruption, defend displaced communities, monitor elections, expose wrongdoing, conduct research, or document abuses may make the government uncomfortable. That discomfort is not a democratic failure, but a democratic function.
Our Position Is Unequivocal
SB 1034 does not need amendments. It is a bill that needs to die. Its underlying architecture is fundamentally dangerous to civic freedom.
LSJ calls on the Nigerian Senate to discontinue further consideration and kill SB 1034.
If transparency in foreign assistance requires improvement, the National Assembly should start afresh — with open consultations involving civil society, humanitarian groups, universities, development partners, constitutional experts, journalists, diaspora organizations, anti‑corruption bodies, and affected communities.
A Warning Beyond SB 1034
Nigeria faces declining public trust, corruption allegations, insecurity, economic hardship, and growing institutional distrust. This is the worst possible moment to erect new barriers to citizens' ability to organize.
Freedom of expression means little if the organizations that amplify it can be financially strangled or chilled by regulatory threat.
Nigeria needs stronger institutions and greater accountability — not SB 1034.
Kill the bill. Protect civic space. Defend democracy.
For and on behalf of the League for Social Justice (LSJ)
Nigeria & the United States
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