Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and community-based groups under the umbrella of the Civil Society Council for Human and Economic Intervention (CSCHEI) have urged Nigerians to embrace the Nigeria First ideology and reject divisive narratives, hate speech and actions capable of undermining national unity.
The Director-General of CSCHEI, Kunle Yusuf, made the call in Abuja while unveiling a 15-point resolution adopted at the Southern CSOs Summit held in Lagos State.
Presenting the summit communiqué, Yusuf said the resolutions were designed to advance national unity, security, economic growth and inclusive governance, while promoting the Nigeria First ideology as a framework for sustainable national development.
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“We commit to promoting peace, tolerance and national unity across the Southern States and Nigeria at large by rejecting hate speech, divisive narratives and actions that undermine nationhood,” he said.
On security, the coalition called for stronger institutions and increased funding for the judiciary, intelligence community and security agencies to enhance crime prevention, justice delivery and protection of lives and property.
“We call for the strengthening and adequate resourcing of the judiciary, intelligence and security agencies to ensure proactive crime prevention, justice delivery and protection of lives and property,” Yusuf stated.
He also advocated greater community participation in security management, noting that local communities possess valuable knowledge of their environment and residents.
The coalition urged governments at all levels to prioritise sustainable agriculture through support for smallholder farmers and policies aimed at improving food security and affordability.
According to Yusuf, government interventions should encourage youth participation in agriculture while ensuring adequate security for farmers to return to their farms.
The organisations also resolved to align their programmes with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and collaborate with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at federal and state levels to monitor and accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda.
The summit advocated increased investment in climate adaptation, renewable energy and community-based environmental initiatives, while calling for transparent access to climate finance, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
Participants further recommended the institutionalisation of an open budgeting system to strengthen citizen participation, transparency and accountability in public expenditure.
“We urge national and sub-national governments, including local government councils, to implement budgets in a manner that allows Nigerians to verify and enjoy the dividends of governance,” he said.
Reaffirming their commitment to democratic governance, the organisations stressed the importance of inclusive governance, respect for the rule of law and judicial independence in sustaining democracy and national development.
The coalition also called for the establishment of a formal partnership framework between government and civil society organisations to improve service delivery and ensure development interventions reach underserved communities.
In addition, the group pledged to intensify efforts to combat misinformation through voter education, civic engagement and public awareness campaigns aimed at strengthening democratic participation.
On youth empowerment, the coalition urged governments and development partners to increase investments in skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to address unemployment and expand economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
The summit also called for the expansion of social protection programmes and trust-building initiatives to cushion the effects of economic hardship and strengthen public confidence in government institutions.
Participants resolved to collaborate with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Bank of Industry (BOI) and other relevant institutions to improve access to grants, credit facilities and technical support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The coalition described the MSME sector as a critical driver of employment generation and grassroots economic development.
Other resolutions focused on improving healthcare and basic education delivery in underserved communities, promoting evidence-based advocacy and institutionalising the Nigeria First ideology.
“We adopt ‘Nigeria First’ as our guiding ideology. We pledge to prioritise national interest above sectional interests and serve as a bridge between government and the people for sustainable national development,” Yusuf said.
The group also announced that the National Civil Society Organisation Summit 2026 will be held in Abuja from October 2 to 4, 2026.
