Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called for drastic steps to check the growing societal divisions hampering Nigeria’s growth and development.
This was one of the observations at the launch of the Policy Document and Civil Society Dialogue on addressing Polarisation in Nigeria organised by Thoughts & Mace Advisory.
In a communique, participants noted that the policy document is a call-to-action for all to collaborate to address the hydra-headed monster called polarisation in Nigeria.
The communiqué read in part: “We need collaborative leadership, as hierarchical leadership has failed us. Partnership is important to collapse the silos that we operate in, maximise our strengths to achieve maximum impact.
“It is important for older CSOs to mentor young and emerging CSOs; knowledge of the civic space is also very important. But it is also important for the older generation to remove the toga of age and learn from the younger generation and collaborate more with them in the areas of their strength.
“Organisational values play a strong role in determining collaboration and partnership between organisations. Trust, honesty and accountability also play a central role in whom we choose to work with.
“In the light of dwindling resources, we need to begin to think like businesses; think about mergers and acquisitions so organisations with fantastic ideas do not die out. We also need to think deeply about how we manage our funds and restrategise for our survival. We have to find a way to survive first before we can talk about building on our legacy.
“It is important to agree on a framework that we can all understand; a framework that goes over and above our different biases; and also communicate in a language that we all understand.
“Another way of implementing the recommendations and advancing collaboration is to build a community of practice; with a community of practice, we can self-regulate and hold ourselves accountable. We should be intentional in setting up this community of practice; be alert, and engage every policy of government.
“We should not be shy in putting out our ideas and working with colleagues; consider that every idea of yours that is stolen is being scaled.”
The Programmes Manager, Thought & Mace Advisory, Joy Ekanem Babasola, noted that according to the Nigeria Social Cohesion Index (NSCI), Nigeria is polarised.
Babasola stated that the growing public disaffection and social tensions are indicative of societal divisions and diminishing national unity.
Babasola said: “The current level of divisions in Nigeria is deemed critical; it underscores an emergent vulnerability within the nation, one that could threaten Nigeria’s stability if not addressed. These underlying social fractures do not exist in isolation but threaten the effectiveness of Nigeria’s CSOs; a sector historically seen as a bulwark against societal fragmentation.
“Recent signs suggest that civil society is itself susceptible to the broader societal divides, which could hinder its capacity to operate as a cohesive force for positive change. The growing fragmentation reflects a vulnerability within civil society that, while not yet at a crisis level, could lead to significant disruptions if divisions continue to deepen unaddressed.
“Civil society is itself susceptible to the broader societal divides, which could hinder its capacity to operate as a cohesive force for positive change. Notably, polarisation within Nigerian society, fueled by historical and contemporary divisions, creates an environment conducive to disinformation, hate speech, and social distrust. This, in turn, impedes the ability of civil society to mobilise effectively.
“The legacy of Nigeria’s civil war, marked by ethnic and religious conflict, continues to cast a long shadow over the nation, reminding stakeholders of the potential for conflict escalation if current tensions are left unresolved.”
