Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), yesterday, called on the National Assembly to withdraw the proposed Foreign Aid Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure’ Bill 2026.

The organisations said the proposed legislation, originally introduced in 2016 by the late House of Representatives member, Umar Buba Jibril, had resurfaced despite previous opposition.

The Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Odeh Friday, disclosed this in Abuja. He said the bill would impose unnecessary restrictions on organisations supporting vulnerable Nigerians, public institutions, and hold public institutions accountable.

He described the legislation as a threat to civic space, freedom of association and humanitarian solidarity.

The groups, which include Yiaga Africa, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Gatefield, BudgIT, SERAP, CLEEN Foundation and Enough is Enough Nigeria, made the demand at a press conference in Abuja yesterday.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, seeks to regulate and monitor the operations and funding sources of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations.

It has passed the first and second readings and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Civil Society and Development Partners for legislative consideration.

Odeh argued that the proposed legislation lacked adequate safeguards against abuse of regulatory powers.

He also raised concerns over the requirement that foreign aid must receive official approval and align with government objectives.

The groups urged Nigerians, religious leaders, diaspora networks, student unions and market associations to oppose the bill.

The organisations also criticised the proposed sanctions, particularly the provision that allows the revocation of an organisation’s operational licence.

The CSOs argued that Nigeria already had several mechanisms for regulating non-profit organisations and monitoring their finances, including the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML).

Also speaking, the Strategic Lead, Democracy, Rights and Public Sector at Gatefield, Abdulrahman Adebayo, said the proposed National Foreign Aid Register would duplicate existing regulatory and transparency mechanisms.

He said the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning’s Nigeria Development Cooperation Dashboard, launched in 2024, already provided information on development cooperation flows, including planned and actual disbursements by donor, sector and state.

He argued that expanding the existing development cooperation dashboard and linking it to the budget process would improve transparency without placing independent organisations under a punitive commission.

He noted that existing laws already vested enforcement powers in government agencies, citing Section 839 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, which relates to incorporated trustees.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of DigiCivic Initiative, Mojirayo Ogunlana, described the sanctions as disproportionate, arguing that administrative lapses should not automatically attract severe criminal penalties.

She added that organisations could face a minimum fine of N20m as well as suspension or revocation of their operational licence.

The coalition further criticised what it described as a selective transparency regime that places particular scrutiny on foreign-funded organisations while failing to impose equivalent disclosure requirements on domestic political donations, foundations linked to public office holders and organisations associated with political actors.