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NationalLegal & RegulatoryNigeria: NGO Bill and state overreach8 Sept 2026NationalLegal & RegulatoryForeign aid bill pits Senate against NGOs7 Sept 2026NationalLegal & RegulatoryNigeria: Foreign Aid Bill endangers civil society31 Aug 2026NationalLegal & RegulatoryHRW urges National Assembly to reject Foreign Aid Bill, warns of government control over NGOs31 Aug 2026NationalArrests & DetentionLawyer seeks UN human rights engagement over prolonged detention of activist Aghogho25 Aug 2026Federal Capital TerritoryArrests & DetentionCybercrime charge: Sowore kicks as DSS moves to foreclose his defence1 Aug 2026NationalCitizen EngagementCSOs urge National Assembly to withdraw bills threatening civic space1 Aug 2026NationalLegal & RegulatoryNigeria: Senate tightens noose on foreign aid, moves to bring NGOs under stricter oversight24 Jul 2026NationalArrests & DetentionAmnesty International demands immediate withdrawal of charges against Sowore23 Jul 2026NationalLegal & RegulatoryNBC to set up tribunal for broadcast violations19 Jul 2026Federal Capital TerritoryArrests & DetentionNigeria jails journalist for 2 months pending trial over corruption reporting1 Jul 2026NationalHarassment3 Nigerian journalists harassed with detention, summons, punitive bail conditions1 Jul 2026NationalCitizen EngagementHuman rights lawyers and activists petition Minister of Justice over Sowore trial30 Jun 2026NationalLegal & RegulatoryNigeria: DSS, N100m SERAP verdict and national debate over civic space and free speech29 Jun 2026NigeriaALERTForeign Aid Bill advances as civil society urges withdrawal8 Sept 2026NigeriaANALYSISThe SERAP judgment and the cost of reporting state conduct29 Jun 2026
Civic PulseNigeria

Manually curated by CVICK researchers

Legal & regulatory

Legislation, regulation and administrative rules that change the operating environment for civil society, the press and human rights defenders.

RestrictiveSenateLR-001

Foreign Aid (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill 2026

Would establish a Foreign Aid Regulatory Commission empowered to track, register, audit, coordinate, sanction and suspend foreign grants and donor funds, and compel organisations to disclose money and humanitarian aid received from foreign donors. Human Rights Watch has urged the National Assembly to reject it, warning that giving authorities influence over the funding and activities of independent organisations would undermine civil society independence. More than 100 Nigerian, African and international organisations have called for its withdrawal ahead of the 2027 general elections.

  1. Proposed
  2. In committee
  3. Passed
  4. Assented
Last action22 Jul 2026— Passed second reading in the Senate and referred to committee.
RestrictiveNational AssemblyLR-002

Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024

In force. Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2) on cyberstalking have repeatedly been used against journalists and critics. CPJ records at least eight journalists wrongfully prosecuted, arrested or detained under the legislation since 2024, and maintains a running index of cases. Omoyele Sowore was charged under section 24 over social media posts made on 25 August 2025 and pleaded not guilty on 2 December 2025.

  1. Proposed
  2. In committee
  3. Passed
  4. Assented
Last action1 Aug 2026— Prosecution applied to foreclose the defence in the Sowore cyberstalking trial; proceedings ended abruptly.
RestrictiveFederal — subsidiary legislationLR-003

Nigeria Broadcasting Code — NBC power to fine and sanction stations

A Federal High Court in Lagos restrained the National Broadcasting Commission from imposing fines and sanctions on broadcast stations under disputed provisions of the Broadcasting Code, holding that the Commission is not a court of law. The NBC appealed; the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal on 17 June 2026 as fundamentally defective and incompetent, leaving the restraining order in place. The Commission has since announced plans to establish a tribunal for broadcast violations.

  1. Proposed
  2. In committee
  3. Passed
  4. Assented
Last action19 Jul 2026— NBC announced it will set up a tribunal for broadcast violations following the rulings.
EnablingNational AssemblyLR-004

Freedom of Information Act 2011

In force. Requires a public institution refusing a request to give written notice stating the reasons and the section relied on, and allows an applicant to apply to court for review within 30 days of refusal. A court that finds a request was wrongly refused may fine the defaulting officer or institution N500,000 and order release. Implementation remains uneven: the Act creates no dedicated oversight body able to enforce compliance without recourse to the courts, and non-compliance by institutions is widely documented.

  1. Proposed
  2. In committee
  3. Passed
  4. Assented
Last action28 May 2011— Signed into law. Annual reporting compliance is tracked as an Open Government Partnership commitment.
RestrictiveNational AssemblyLR-005

NGO regulation and registration requirements

Proposals bundled with the foreign aid measures would impose compulsory registration, inspections and broad disclosure obligations on non-governmental organisations. Commentators warn the requirements risk turning legitimate civil society and humanitarian work into targets of state surveillance, and could expose defenders, survivors and witnesses to harassment and retaliation. The pattern mirrors anti-NGO measures documented across the region.

  1. Proposed
  2. In committee
  3. Passed
  4. Assented
Last action8 Sept 2026— Continued public debate over compulsory registration and disclosure duties.
MixedConstitutional and case lawLR-006

Framework governing peaceful assembly

Section 40 of the Constitution guarantees peaceful assembly and association, but federal and state governments frequently ban public events perceived as security threats, and rights groups have documented protests being prohibited or dispersed. Amnesty International recorded police unlawfully restricting protesters to designated locations in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt during the #EndBadGovernance protests, and attacks on journalists covering them.

  1. Proposed
  2. In committee
  3. Passed
  4. Assented
Last action16 Jan 2026— Anambra State Police Command cautioned Awka residents against organising or joining street protests.

This register is maintained by hand. Entries are added when a CVICK researcher verifies a legislative movement against a primary source, and the impact assessment is CVICK’s own, applied under the published methodology.