Dogara seeks stronger civil society partnership to deepen NASS oversight

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has called for a more robust partnership between the National Assembly and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria. He emphasized that strong legislative oversight is essential for translating government decisions into tangible benefits for citizens.

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effective legislative oversight is key to ensuring that government decisions translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians.

Speaking at the National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, Dogara highlighted the persistent gap between legislative approvals and the actual benefits received by Nigerians, even after 25 years of democracy. He stated that oversight should actively expose corruption, inefficiency, and poor governance, moving beyond routine constitutional duties to ensure accountability and value for public resources.

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oversight should go beyond constitutional routine and serve as an effective mechanism for promoting accountability and ensuring value for public resources.

Dogara commended the current leadership of the House of Representatives for promoting public engagement through the event, describing it as a courageous initiative. He warned against reducing oversight to a mere ceremonial exercise, stressing its importance in protecting citizens' interests. He views CSOs as vital partners, possessing crucial community-level information and acting as the legislature's "eyes and ears" by monitoring projects and reporting implementation gaps.

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oversight would lose its relevance if reduced to a ceremonial exercise rather than serving as a tool for protecting the interests of Nigerians.

The former Speaker recalled supporting the inclusion of civil society monitors in budget defense sessions, even amidst opposition, arguing that institutions fearing scrutiny lose public confidence. He identified the disconnect between budget approvals and project implementation as a major governance challenge, stemming from a failure of accountability rather than underdevelopment. Dogara urged the National Assembly to monitor budget implementation with the same rigor applied to passing bills, and called for executive transparency and constructive engagement with oversight bodies. He also advised CSOs to provide verified evidence and credible data to inform legislative action, advocating for institutionalized, sustained collaboration to deepen democratic governance.

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civil society organisations should be regarded as partners in strengthening democratic institutions, noting that they often possess valuable community-level information unavailable to lawmakers.