Nigeria President Tinubu Calls CSOs Partners in Governance at Lagos Summit

President Bola Tinubu and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu addressed a national summit of civil‑society and community‑based organisations in Lagos, urging them to move from opposition to partnership with government. The leaders highlighted the "Nigeria First" theme and the Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that CSOs should help track public spending, advance climate action, and support ethical leadership.

Both officials warned against undue foreign influence in civil‑society funding and called for constructive, factual, and patriotic advocacy. Tinubu described CSOs as "co‑architects of national development" and urged them to engage in budget monitoring, data sharing, and community monitoring to improve service delivery. Sanwo‑Olu praised Lagos’s history of citizen engagement and said collaborative policies are more sustainable than top‑down decisions.