The Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, has decried the poor policy engagement of government and civil societies, stating that it has impacted negatively on deliverance of dividends of democracy.
Lukman, who issued the statement yesterday in Abuja, said: “Part of the reality in Nigeria is that weak institutional capacity of both government and the emerging structures of civil society haveconsiderablymadepolicy engagements very minimal.
“In so many ways, poor progress in managing relations between government and civil society in Nigeria has also produced a new reality whereby Nigerian civil society groups are increasingly being replaced by international non-governmental organisations.
“Unlike in the past where these international non-governmental organisations provide financial support to Nigerian organisations to implement activities, these international non-governmental organisations now set up structures in Nigeria, hire Nigerians, including leaders of civil society to run these offices and implement projects.”