Dogara Seeks Stronger CSO Partnership to Boost NASS Oversight

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has called for stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and civil society organisations (CSOs) to strengthen legislative oversight and ensure government policies and budgetary allocations deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.

Speaking on Tuesday at the National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, Dogara said effective oversight remains critical to promoting transparency, accountability and good governance.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, the former Speaker noted that many citizens were yet to fully enjoy the dividends of democracy despite huge public resources appropriated by the National Assembly over the years.

He lamented the widening gap between what lawmakers approve and what eventually gets to the people, describing it as one of Nigeria’s biggest governance challenges.

“The essence of oversight is to ensure that every kobo appropriated by the National Assembly is spent for the purpose for which it was approved and that Nigerians receive value for public funds,” he said.

Dogara stressed that legislative oversight goes beyond committee visits and reports, insisting that it should serve as a tool for exposing corruption, inefficiency, waste and poor governance.

He commended the leadership of the House of Representatives under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for initiating the National Assembly Open Week, describing it as a bold step towards promoting openness and direct engagement between lawmakers and citizens.

According to him, democratic institutions become stronger when they willingly subject themselves to public scrutiny rather than operating behind closed doors.

He warned that oversight loses its relevance when reduced to a ceremonial exercise instead of serving as an effective mechanism for protecting public interest and ensuring proper implementation of government programmes.

Dogara also argued that civil society organisations should be seen as partners rather than critics of government, noting that they possess community-based information, technical expertise and field evidence that are often unavailable to lawmakers.

He described CSOs as the “eyes and ears” of the legislature, saying they play a crucial role in monitoring constituency projects, tracking public expenditure and exposing implementation failures and service delivery gaps.

Recalling his tenure as Speaker, Dogara said he encouraged the participation of civil society groups during budget defence sessions despite resistance from some lawmakers who were uncomfortable with public scrutiny.

He identified the disconnect between budget approvals and project implementation as one of the country’s biggest accountability failures, stressing that the challenge lies more in inadequate monitoring and enforcement than in a lack of resources.

The former Speaker urged the National Assembly to devote the same level of commitment to monitoring budget implementation as it does to passing appropriation bills, insisting that legislative responsibilities do not end with budget approval.

He also called on the executive arm of government to cooperate fully with oversight institutions by providing timely access to information required for effective legislative scrutiny.

Addressing civil society groups, Dogara urged them to support legislative oversight with credible data, verified evidence and properly documented findings capable of informing policy decisions and prompting corrective action.

He further advocated institutionalising collaboration between the National Assembly and civil society organisations beyond annual engagements such as the Open Week, saying sustained partnerships would strengthen oversight, improve accountability and restore public confidence in democratic institutions.

“Democracy flourishes where institutions embrace transparency, accountability and constructive criticism,” he said, urging lawmakers, parliamentary staff, civil society organisations and citizens to work together to ensure government policies, budgets and development projects improve the lives of Nigerians.