By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin

In order to ensure Self Censorship, and accountability, Civil Society Organisations in Kwara state last week Thursday in ilorin held a One-day Step down training for it’s members titled ” Scaling and Adoption of Civil Society Self-Regulation Framework.”

Convener of Civil Societies in Kwara state, Angela Okoye after the training told Vanguard that the One day training became necessary for them to self regulate.

“Self regulation in the sense that we need to comply with minimum regulation standards that is acceptable by governing bodies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission,EFCC and even the State ministries for the state government in Kwara state as the case will be.

“So it’s just like a searchlight being pointed to the CSO where we need to check ourselves if we comply with laid down standards even before government or other establishments come to check us.

” It’s a training which is the first of it’s kind and subsequently we’ll have more engagements where we will build the capacity of CSO on the need for us to self regulate and how we can meet up with some of these standards required by the agencies.

“We expect that the capacity of the organizations will be better built and they’ll understand the concept of self regulation and they’ll begin to comply with instructions laid down.”Angela stressed.

She added that,”a lot of organizations take them with levity but hearing it today, they’ll Imbibe it. For example, these organizations have governing bodies during registrations,how often do these bodies meet and how effective are they in managing the affairs of the organization

“So it’s a wake up call to all CSO’S in Kwara state to build our capacity and point us to the right direction and there’s a need for us to reflect inwardly.”she further said.

The gains of self regulations according to her include ,”better accountability,we are more accountable to beneficiaries,donors and government establishments that serve as standards that we need to meet up with.”

One of the lecturers,Tosin Ajayi ,Executive Director of Women and Youth Development Initiative- (WOYODEV) at the seminar tutored members on Self Regulation Concepts and Benefits and Civic Space Dynamics and compliance; Challenges at the Sub-national level in Nigeria.

She further lectured members on Self Regulation modalities and benefits while Musa Aliyu
Media Advocacy and Technologies Centre also lectured members on other key topics.

One of the participants Mr Olusegun Adeyemi,the immediate past Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA)in Kwara state said the seminar provided him the unique opportunity to understand the need for them to self regulate and operate their NGOs with extant laws

For her part,Deaconess Falola Elizabeth Funke of the Women Wing of Christians Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) acknowledged that she learnt a lot in the seminar and would disseminate same across the sixteen local governments in the state.

Hajia balkis Oladimeji,the Amirah of FOMWAN in Kwara state in her reaction commended the organisers adding that the seminar is like a refresher course to her and assured that she would cascade the knowledge to other members of FOMWAN and that of her personal NGO.

Ends