Civil Society Organisations and Public Policy Influence: The Nigerian Experience in the Fourth Republic

Abstract

One of the key ways by which the government responds to the challenges which arise from governance from time to time is the formulation of public policy. Public policies are expected to promote broad based socio-economic growth and harness the views and aspirations of every social class of the country. However, the government, either by accident or design, undermines the concerns of the spectrum in the society. For this reason, the involvement of non -governmental actors like Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in public policy process is imperative. This research sought to unearth the extent to which CSOs in Nigeria were able to influence public policy in the country and it discovered that the efforts of CSOs in this regard resulted into minimal success.  Their policy influence were limited by several factors such as the failure of  the government to accept CSOs with open arm,  the aura of secrecy which surround government documents and activities and the inept manner the CSOs sometimes go about their agitation for policy influence among others.. The paper recommended that for public policy to match with practice, the government must come into terms with the crucial role of CSOs in public policy and give them the necessary support to function effectively and efficiently. CSOs are also advised to learn a better way of pursuing their agitation for efficient policy influence. The research is historical and it depends mainly on the analysis of secondary data.

Keywords: civil society, public policy, policy influence, policy process, policy engagement, peacebuilding