PIC: (L-R): Director-General, CSCHEI & National Convener, Civil Society Organisation Summit 2026, Hon. Kunle Yusuff; President Bola Tinubu represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; President, Association of Diplomatic Women in Nigeria (ADWiN), Ruby Ross Maribao; Nigerian Diplomat and National Civil Society Leader, Amb. Bolaji Akinremi; Special Assistant to the President on Climate Change Matters, Comrade Yusuf Kelani; SSA to the President on Industrial Training & Development, Hon. Adamson Ayinde; Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on SDGs, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih and Special Envoy, West Africa International Human Rights Protection Service (IHRPS), Amb. Charles Omini during the 2026 Southern Civil Society Organizations Summit, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday July 8, 2026.
By Our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday enjoined members of the civil society organisations, to team up with the Federal Government to move Nigeria forward and re commit their energy to advancing the country rather than criticizing government policies and that they should be constructive in their criticism.
President Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu made the call while speaking at Southern Civil Society Organisations Summit, 2026 organised by National Leadership of Accredited Civil Society Organisation, with the theme: "Nigeria First," held at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Federal Government (SSG), Senator George Akume, urged members the Civil Society Organisations to be committed to moving the country forward, and not just concentrating on criticizing government policies always, adding that they should be constructive and not destructive if they were to do so.
The president charged the CSO to also relate to government at the grassroots and form partnership and as well collaborate with them on how they can implement government policy to the benefit of the people.
President Tinubu said the summit aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its eight presidential priorities, including food security, poverty reduction, good governance, human capital development and climate resilience.
The president further urged CSOs to engage in budget tracking, community monitoring and data-driven accountability, cautioning against foreign funding that could undermine Nigeria’s national interest, even as he announced that a National Civil Society Organisation Summit would hold in Abuja in the fourth quarter of 2026.
"This is a potential platforms for partnership and collaboration with the government. When this is fully achieved, the civil society system in Nigeria
will have contributed immensely to the transformation of Nigeria.
"The first area of alignment is food security. Food security is about a number of key issues, including farming activities, climate information, transport, fisheries, and protection of the ecosystems that sustain livelihoods.
"Our administration's priorities are clear and direct. Our only plan is to sustain inclusive growth, strengthen national security, boost agriculture, provide cheap food security, and help Nigerians manage their resources, sustainable development, enhance infrastructure and transportation,
"Practice in education, help in social investment, accelerate diversification, free industrialization, and digitalization - An improved government for effective service to the people. The Renewable Development Act is a push-up contract," President Tinubu stated.
In his welcome address, Governor Sanwo-Olu, urged members of the Civil Society to place collective interest of the nation above parochial interest, saying that they should be selfless in their service as they served as a bridge between government and the governed.
The governor, while urging them to promote transparency and good government, further urged them to be constructive, factual and be fair in their criticism of government activities.
Sanwo-Olu explained that in order to elevate their engagement with government, there must be room for disagreeing to agree.
This was just as he noted that one of the reasons CSO is institutionalized is for it to be able to fly the nation high, in order that they would not see government as an enemy and government also will not see CSO as a nuisance.
Sanwo-Olu, therefore, reassured members of the civil society that Lagos State would continue to partner with them, listen to them, just as he urged them to be bold in their resolution and come up with a communique government can act upon.
Also speaking, the National Convener of the Summit, Kunle Yusuf, said the gathering was convened to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration, promote inclusive governance, review progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate partnerships, and reaffirm commitment to national development.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Professor Ayo Omotayo, who was the technical partner, in his own remark, stressed the need for evidence-based policies and strategic collaboration to achieve sustainable development.
Dignitaries at the Summit, were CSO leaders and development partners from across the southern states, among others.
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