FG should fund CSOs to reduce foreign influence – Prof Amadi

Professor Sam Amadi, the director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought Centre for Public Policy and Research, has advised the Federal Government to fund the activities of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country in a bid to reduce foreign influence in their activities.

He gave the advice while delivering a keynote address at the stakeholder dialogue on foreign influence and their impact on democratic values, in Abuja on Wednesday.

While noting that those who pay the piper dictate the tune, Prof Amadi said foreign influence is obvious in the ideas most of the CSOs in the country are pushing.

“It’s essential to engage with international bodies but with caution. We must carefully scrutinise, filter, and transform external influences, ensuring they align with our values.

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“Ultimately, we must develop our own identity and align with those who share common developmental goals. By setting our own agenda, we can shape the culture and norms that define us,” stated Prof Amadi.

He, therefore, suggested that the Federal Government should create a national endowment fund for the CSOs in the country, adding that it would allow the government to assess the ideas the civil society groups are pushing.

“The criteria of accessing such funds will be controlled by the endowment not the party or government in power.

“There should be institutional filters to filter, intercept and demystify the ideas we are getting. We should stop blaming countries for trying to push their ideas on our people and design strategies to develop our own ideas.

“Foreign influences will always be there but we should be able to take it and design it to solve local problems,” the Don said.

On his part, Femi D. Amele, the Director of Programmes, Dataphyte Foundation, said the stakeholder dialogue was convened to address the multifaceted dynamics of foreign influence and chart a course towards safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic future.

“Moving forward, the onus is on all stakeholders to translate dialogue into decisive action,” added Amele.

“Together, we must implement the actionable recommendations generated from this dialogue and foster a culture of democratic resilience in Nigeria.”

As the dialogue concluded on a note of unity and resolve, Dataphyte Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to driving positive change and invited all stakeholders to leverage insights from all its data-driven publications and join forces in safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic future.