Civil Society Organizations Partner with Political Parties

August 31, 2004

August 24-25 – IRI-Nigeria hosted a two-day workshop on civil society organizations (CSOs) and political party advocacy in Abuja. At the workshop, IRI staff helped Nigeria CSOs and political parties develop strategies to effectively address issues important to their constituents. The workshop also assisted CSOs and political parties with strategy and infrastructure development to promote their common and mutual agendas. Participants at the two-day event included senior national executives of ten partner political parties, state party chairmen of the ten parties from Lagos state, 15 relevant issue advocacy civil society organizations, representatives from both houses of the National Assembly and representatives from the Nigerian media.

Through the workshops, IRI hopes to strengthen the partnership of Nigeria’s CSOs and political parties. Their partnership, vital to democracy in Nigeria, will likely help political parties with platform and policy development, citizen outreach and mobilization. In turn, political parties can help CSOs accomplish their goals.

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