The #FixPolitics Initiative has warned the Nigerian authorities to be careful with their transparency policy on foreign aid, so it does not turn into state control.
In a statement, the Executive Director, #FixPolitics Africa, Anthony Ubani, asserted that legislation must be judged not by the attractiveness of its title, but by the powers it creates, who exercises those powers and how they can be used.
On this basis, the #FixPolitics Initiative called for the withdrawal of SB.1034 in its present form.
According to #FixPolitics, the Foreign Aid (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026 (SB.1034) sounds, from its title, like legislation every responsible citizen should support, adding, “After all, who could reasonably oppose transparency, accountability and proper disclosure of foreign assistance coming into Nigeria?”
It expressed support for transparency in foreign assistance, since Nigeria has every right to protect its financial system against money laundering, terrorism financing, corruption and the diversion of donor funds.
“Public institutions receiving foreign assistance must also be fully accountable for how such resources are used,” it stated, arguing that the problem with the bill was not its stated objective, but the excessive regulatory architecture proposed in pursuit of that objective.
Civil society, the group pointed out, cannot be placed under government control.
“The bill fails to make a sufficient distinction between foreign assistance received by government and legitimate grants received by independent civil society organisations. These are fundamentally different.
“The bill extends regulatory power over grants received by all independent civil society organisations, including religious bodies, private organisations and traditional institutions, treating a private foundation’s grant to any Nigerian organisation outside government as if it were public money simply because it crossed a border.”
#FixPolitics noted that Nigeria does not lack regulatory institutions, and that civil society organisations are already subject to registration, financial reporting, tax, banking, anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing requirements through the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering and other agencies
