Promotion of public good through advocacy is the focus of a partnership between the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

At the signing ceremony of the advocacy partnership in Abuja, the Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, and the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, stressed the need for business organisations and civil society groups to work together for the promotion of the public good.

Underscoring the benefits of the partnership, Oyerinde described civil society groups and the private sector as two sides of one coin.

“While some may see the private sector and civil society as operating in separate spheres, we recognise a profound shared interest. A business cannot thrive in an unstable or less transparent environment. Just as citizens deserve good governance, so too does enterprise. Our shared goals of a transparent, predictable, and fair Nigeria, both economically, socially and industrially, are not just complementary; they are inseparable,” he said.

He added that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) is not merely a document, but a symbol of the two organisations’ mutual commitment towards tackling Nigeria’s most pressing challenges together.

Oyerinde added that through the partnership, both NECA and CISLAC will combine their research capabilities, advocacy strengths, and extensive networks to create a more powerful voice for Nigeria’s economic renaissance.
He listed public policy, responsible business conduct, taxation, ease of doing business, decent work, climate change and gender issues as key areas of focus.

Rafsanjani said the MoU is more of an agreement, but a covenant of trust between civil society, employers and the Nigerian workers.

He declared that the partnership demonstrates that the dignity of labour, the welfare of the workforce, and the productivity of the nation can no longer be negotiable but must be guaranteed.

While lamenting the social pressure Nigerian workers are subjected to, he said: “For decades, Nigerian workers have borne the burden of our nation’s growth – teachers shaping our future leaders, health workers standing on the frontlines of crises, farmers feeding our people, and countless others whose daily resilience keeps our economy alive. Yet, too often, their sacrifices have been undervalued.”