The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Achieving Transparent and Accountable Governance in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic

Abstract

This study examines the role played by civil society organizations in enhancing transparency and
accountability in the management of public resources in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. The premise of the discourse is that, an autonomous and vibrant civil society is an invaluable tool for the society to resist the excesses of the state which must be strengthened to act as a catalyst to enhance good governance. The study which is anchored on the agency theory and is analytical focuses on civil society engagement with the government on fiscal transparency issues and; the challenges associated with it. The study found out that civil society organizations have played a significant role in enhancing accountability by monitoring budget formulation, tracking public expenditure and project implementation in the country. However, many civil society organizations are urban based and lacked broad based participation. Amongst other suggestions, the study recommends that civil society organizations should enlist more grass root participation so as to broaden their network. Also, civil society organizations should establish good rapport with the legislative arm of government to enhance exchange of information to facilitate accurate and reliable information flow to the public in carrying out public advocacy/ awareness function.