NANGO Demands Withdrawal of Foreign Aid Regulation Bill

YOLA —By Ojoma Yusuf,Yola

The Network of Adamawa Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) has called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposed Foreign Aid Regulation and Transparency Bill before the National Assembly.

The organisation made the demand on Friday in Yola during activities marking the 2026 World Humanitarian Day, themed, “Act for Humanity.”

NANGO also called on the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to strengthen the protection of humanitarian workers and civilians, particularly those operating in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities.

Speaking with journalists, the NANGO Chairman, Peter Michael Egwudah, said the annual commemoration provided an opportunity to honour humanitarian workers who had lost their lives while serving humanity and to amplify the voices of affected populations.

Egwudah recalled the August 19, 2003, bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 humanitarian workers, saying the incident underscored the dangers aid workers face in the course of their duties.

He said humanitarian workers had increasingly become targets of attacks and urged governments and other stakeholders to ensure their safety, dignity and freedom to carry out humanitarian activities.

“Humanitarian aid workers should be respected and protected,” Egwudah said, stressing that perpetrators of attacks against aid workers must be held accountable.

NANGO urged the government to create an enabling environment for civil society organisations to operate and continue to amplify the concerns of humanitarian workers and affected communities.

The organisation specifically called for the immediate withdrawal and permanent discontinuation of consideration of the proposed Foreign Aid Regulation and Transparency Bill, warning that excessive regulation could undermine the operations of civil society and humanitarian organisations.

Also speaking, NANGO Secretary, Aminu Bello, appealed to the Adamawa State Government to support a bill developed through collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations and international non-governmental organisations.

Bello said the bill had passed its first and second readings and had been forwarded to the state governor, urging Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to give it his assent.

In its communiqué, NANGO also called on the Federal Government and relevant authorities to guarantee safe and rapid humanitarian access to affected communities.

The organisation further advocated stronger localisation of humanitarian interventions through increased direct and flexible funding for local organisations.

It said the measures would strengthen the capacity of local organisations to respond effectively to humanitarian emergencies and provide sustained assistance to communities affected by conflicts and other crises.