Having deliberated at its recently concluded 2026 Summit, on issues of national unity, security, governance, development, and citizen welfare, the Accredited Civil Society Organisations and Community-Based Organisations under the umbrella of CSCHEI, hereby resolve as follows:
1. *National Unity and Cohesion*:
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.
2. *Support for Security Architecture* :
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.
3. *Food Security and Agricultural Transformation* :
We urge government at all levels to prioritize sustainable agriculture, provide support to smallholder farmers, and implement policies that guarantee food sufficiency and affordability for all citizens.
4. *Acceleration of SDG 2030 Implementation*:
We resolve to align CSO programs with the UN 2030 Agenda and to work with Federal and State MDAs to track, report, and accelerate progress on all 17 SDGs at the grassroots level.
5. *Climate Action and Climate Financing*:
We advocate for increased investment in climate adaptation, renewable energy, and community-based environmental programs, and for transparent access to global climate financing for local communities.
6. *Open, Transparent and Accountable Budgeting*:
We demand the institutionalization of an open budgeting system that ensures citizen participation, transparency in public expenditure, and value for money in project delivery.
7. *Strengthening Democratic Governance*:
We reaffirm our commitment to inclusive governance, the rule of law, and judicial independence as foundations for sustainable democracy and development.
8. *Strategic Partnership Between Government and CSOs*:
We call for the establishment of a structured framework for collaboration between Government and Civil Society as _partners in nation building_ to ensure service delivery reaches the last mile.
9. *Combating Misinformation and Promoting Civic Education*:
We resolve to lead strategic information management by countering fake news and rumours, and by intensifying voter education and civic engagement to strengthen democracy.
10. *Youth Empowerment and Human Capacity Development*:
We urge government and development partners to expand investments in skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, and the Industrial Training Fund to reduce unemployment and empower Nigerian youth.
11. *Strengthening Social Protection Systems*:
We call for the refinement and expansion of social protection and trust-building mechanisms to cushion the impact of economic hardship and restore citizens’ confidence in government.
12. *Support for MSMEs and Economic Inclusion*:
We resolve to work with SMEDAN, BOI, and other agencies to facilitate access to grants, credit, and technical support for MSMEs as drivers of job creation and grassroots economic growth.
13. *Health and Basic Education Delivery*:
We commit to partnering with NPHCDA and UBEC to improve primary healthcare and basic education outcomes, especially in underserved communities across the 460 LGAs of our operational reach.
14. *Data-Driven and Evidence-Based Advocacy*:
We resolve to anchor all CSO interventions on Logic, Science, and Data, and to establish a unified data system for tracking development impact and optimizing donor and government support.
15.*Institutionalization of “Nigeria First”* :
We adopt “Nigeria First” as our guiding ideology. We pledge to reposition Civil Society from confrontation to collaboration, to prioritize national interest above sectional interests, and to serve as a bridge between Government and the people for sustainable national development.
*Adopted this 8th Day of July 2026, at the Southern Civil Society Organisations Summit, Lagos, Nigeria.*
