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Civil society organisations under the Civil Society Council for Human and Economic Intervention (CSCHEI) have formally embraced a “Nigeria First” ideology and issued a 15-point resolution urging urgent action on national unity, security, food sufficiency, climate finance and inclusive governance.
Presenting the resolution at a press briefing in Abuja after the Southern Civil Society Organisations Summit in Lagos on July 8, 2026, CSCHEI Director-General Kunle Yusuff said the coalition intends to shift the sector’s posture from confrontation to constructive partnership with the government.
“We adopt ‘Nigeria First’ as our guiding ideology. We pledge to reposition Civil Society from confrontation to collaboration, to prioritise national interest above sectional interests, and to serve as a bridge between Government and the people for sustainable national development,” Yusuff said.
The summit’s first priority is national cohesion. Delegates committed to combating divisive rhetoric and hate speech, with Yusuff stressing a moral duty to protect unity across the South and the wider country.
“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.
The coalition called for strengthened and better-funded judiciary, intelligence and security agencies to improve crime prevention and protection of citizens.
“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,” Yusuff said.
The CSOs urged government support for smallholder farmers, prioritisation of sustainable agriculture, and policies to guarantee food sufficiency and affordability.
The group pledged alignment with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, committing to collaborate with federal and state MDAs to monitor and accelerate progress across all 17 SDGs at the grassroots level.
Climate adaptation, transparent climate financing and investment in renewable energy made the list of demands, along with a call to institutionalise open budgeting to boost citizen participation and fiscal accountability.
The coalition further set out plans to tackle misinformation through intensified civic education and strategic information management, and to expand youth empowerment via skills acquisition, entrepreneurship initiatives and support for the Industrial Training Fund.
“We further resolve to strengthen strategic partnerships, mobilise technical expertise, institutionalise data-driven decision-making, and sustain advocacy for policies that promote peace, prosperity, environmental sustainability, democratic governance and inclusive development, guided by the principle of ‘Nigeria First’,” Yusuff said.
CSCHEI promised to work with agencies such as SMEDAN and the Bank of Industry to improve MSME access to grants and credit, and to partner with NPHCDA and UBEC to boost primary health and basic education across its 460-LGA operational footprint.
Yusuff urged collective commitment from government, donors, institutions and citizens to implement the resolutions.
“The Summit calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria, State Governments, the National Assembly, Development Partners, the Private Sector, Donor Agencies, Traditional and Religious Institutions, Academia, the Media and all Nigerian citizens to work collaboratively towards the full implementation of these resolutions in the collective interest of national development,” he said.
He ended with a reminder of shared responsibility: “We are all stakeholders in the Nigerian project.”
