By Gloria Ikibah
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has urged the National Assembly to forge stronger partnerships with civil society organisations (CSOs), saying effective legislative oversight is essential if government spending and public policies are to deliver real benefits to Nigerians.
Dogara made the appeal on Tuesday during the National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, where lawmakers, development partners, civil society groups and the media gathered to examine ways of strengthening transparency, accountability and public participation in governance. 
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, the former Speaker said many citizens were still waiting to enjoy the full dividends of democratic governance despite the huge sums approved by parliament over the years.
He questioned why there remained a wide gap between what the National Assembly appropriates and what ultimately reaches ordinary Nigerians, describing the disconnect as one of the country’s biggest governance failures.
“The essence of oversight is to ensure that every kobo appropriated by the National Assembly is spent for the purpose for which it was approved and that Nigerians receive value for public funds,” he said.
Dogara stressed that legislative oversight should not be reduced to routine committee visits or the production of official reports, arguing that its real purpose is to expose corruption, inefficiency, waste and poor governance.
He commended the leadership of the House of Representatives under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for introducing the National Assembly Open Week, describing it as an important step towards making parliament more accessible and accountable.
According to him, the initiative provides citizens, civil society organisations and the media with an opportunity to engage lawmakers directly, ask difficult questions and make meaningful contributions to the legislative process.
Dogara maintained that democratic institutions become stronger when they willingly open themselves to public scrutiny instead of operating behind closed doors.
He warned that legislative oversight loses its value when it becomes a ceremonial exercise rather than a genuine mechanism for ensuring government programmes are implemented as approved and in the public interest.
The former Speaker argued that civil society organisations should be regarded as partners in governance rather than critics standing on the sidelines.
He said many CSOs possess technical expertise, grassroots knowledge and field-based evidence that can strengthen the oversight work of parliament.
Describing civil society groups as the “eyes and ears” of the legislature, Dogara said they play an indispensable role in tracking constituency projects, monitoring public spending and identifying failures in service delivery.
Recalling his time as Speaker, he said he deliberately encouraged civil society participation during budget defence sessions despite resistance from some lawmakers who were uncomfortable with increased public scrutiny.
According to him, institutions that resist openness ultimately undermine public confidence in democratic governance.
Dogara identified the persistent gap between budget approvals and project execution as one of Nigeria’s greatest accountability challenges, arguing that the problem lies less with the availability of funds than with weak monitoring and enforcement.
He therefore urged lawmakers to devote as much attention to monitoring budget implementation as they do to passing appropriation bills, insisting that the work of parliament should not end once a budget is approved.
The former Speaker also called on the Executive to cooperate fully with legislative oversight by embracing transparency and providing timely access to information required for effective scrutiny.
He encouraged civil society organisations to support the National Assembly with credible data, verified evidence and properly documented findings capable of influencing policy and prompting corrective action where necessary.
Dogara further advocated institutionalising collaboration between parliament and civil society beyond annual events such as the Open Week, saying sustained engagement would strengthen oversight, improve accountability and deepen public trust in democratic institutions.
He concluded that democracy can only thrive where transparency, accountability and constructive criticism are embraced, urging lawmakers, parliamentary staff, civil society organisations and citizens to work together to ensure government policies, budgets and development projects translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
