Withdraw foreign aid bill immediately – SERAP, NGE tell Akpabio, others

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have called on the National Assembly to immediately withdraw the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026 (SB.1034).

In a joint open letter dated August 29, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and NGE General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, they urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to reject the bill.

In the letter, they argued that the proposed legislation could undermine civic space, media freedom and democratic participation in Nigeria.

They described the bill as unnecessary, unlawful and unconstitutional.

They said it would give the government extensive powers to regulate civil society organisations, independent media, religious organisations and other entities receiving foreign assistance.

“Although the Bill is presented in the guise of promoting transparency, it would establish an extensive framework for governmental control over civil society organisations and private entities receiving foreign assistance,” the organisations said.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), seeks to make registration and disclosure compulsory for organisations and private entities that receive foreign aid.

It also includes penalties such as fines of at least N20 million, as well as the suspension or withdrawal of operating licences.

SERAP and NGE said Nigeria already has institutions responsible for corporate registration, financial reporting, taxation, anti-money laundering and anti-corruption enforcement, including the Corporate Affairs Commission, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and Federal Inland Revenue Service.

They therefore questioned the need for another regulatory body, saying the proposed Foreign Aid Regulatory Commission could create overlapping and intrusive powers.

“The bill could have serious consequences for independent journalism, as many media and civil society organisations depend on foreign grants to support investigative reporting, fact-checking, journalist safety and other activities that serve the public interest,” the organisations said.

“The proposed regulatory framework could increase government pressure on independent organisations and create conditions that encourage self-censorship.”

“The Bill also employs vague concepts such as ‘foreign aid’, ‘national priorities’ and ‘public interest’ without defining them or establishing objective legal standards to govern their application. As such, the Bill fails to satisfy the constitutional and international human rights requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality,” the organisations added.

SERAP and NGE further argued that the bill’s provisions on mandatory registration, disclosure, inspections and sanctions could interfere with freedom of expression and association protected by Sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution.

The groups therefore urged the National Assembly to immediately withdraw and reject the bill and commit not to introduce legislation that unjustifiably restricts civic space, media freedom or the legitimate activities of civil society organisations and private entities.

“We also called on lawmakers to avoid introducing legislation that could weaken democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.”

SERAP and NGE further urged the National Assembly to uphold its constitutional duty to protect democracy and citizens’ rights and to ensure that its legislative powers are not used to restrict legitimate public participation or silence critical voices.