Why government should not be allowed to regulate NGOs – Shehu Sani

The Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has kicked against the bill currently in the House of Representatives which seeks to regulate the activities of non-governmental and civil society organisations in Nigeria.


According to Sani, the bill would be abused by those in government when it becomes law.

The controversial bill, which is sponsored by a member of the House of Representatives, Umar Buba Jubril, is tagged: “The Bill for An Act to Provide for the Establishment of the Non-Governmental Organisations Regulatory Commission for the Supervision, Coordination and Monitoring of Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society Organisations, etc, in Nigeria and for Related Matters.”

Sani, in a Facebook post, maintained that it was dangerous to support the bill.

He said: “The increasing cases of human rights abuses and intolerance to divergent views across the country make it dangerous to endorse or support any bill aimed at ‘regulating the activities of the NGOs’.

“I will stand against this bill to protect and preserve our fundamental rights to freedom of expression and of assembly.

“The tendency of the Bill when it becomes law to be abused by people in the position of power is high.”