•Photo (L-R): Elder Nnaemeka Ezeabasili, Lt. Sopuruchukwu Onyebuchi, Apostle Nnamdi Mbaigbo and Brother Chinonso Azik
A renowned ISO-certified non-governmental organisation in Nigeria, The Tropical Gate Foundation for Sustainable Development has frowned at the newly re-introduced Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Regulation Bill currently undergoing consideration within the National Assembly.
In a statement issued today, Sunday, August 16, 2026 and made available to The Frontier, the foundation warned that the legislation introduces central government controls that, if passed and assented to by the president, will directly destabilise community safety nets and slow down critical humanitarian interventions across Nigeria.
The statement signed by its Founder, Apostle Nnamdi Mbaigbo (FIMC, CMC, FICM, FIADRN, DFAI), said the bill targets the survival mechanisms of the vulnerable under the guise of statutory accountability.
“Nigeria does not lack non-profit regulation,” Apostle Mbaigbo remarked.
“Legitimate foundations like ours already comply with rigorous financial and operational disclosures monitored by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML).
“This proposed bill introduces a destructive bureaucratic gatekeeping mechanism. Giving an Abuja-based political board the sole unchecked power to approve, deny, or renew an organisation’s operational license every two years compromises independent advocacy and puts an end to localised community assistance.
“The Tropical Gate Foundation notes that the broad legislative text introduces three critical risks to everyday Nigerian society Viz:
Bottlenecks in Emergency Interventions: Mandating centralised federal clearances before project executions will paralyze rapid response teams providing urgent medical outreaches, clean water projects, and educational aid.
Economic Shockwaves to Development Funds: Imposing rigid operational permits will discourage international philanthropic partners, diverting millions of dollars in direct sustainable development grants away from Nigerian communities.
Erasure of Informal Safety Nets: The vague, sweeping definitions in the regulatory framework threaten to absorb local town unions, youth development cooperatives, and informal community savings pools (esusu and ajo) into restrictive federal filing networks, crushing local financial resilience.”
The foundation called on the elected representatives of part of Anambra State where its administrative headquarters is located, specifically the two federal lawmakers at the National Assembly, to protect their constituents back home by voting against the said legislation.
“We explicitly call upon the home constituency representatives of Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Emma Nwachukwu, and Aguata Federal Constituency, Hon. Dominic Ifeanyi Okafor, to protect their constituents by voting decisively against the bill.
“Our representatives in Abuja must remember that they represent the people, not the suppression of the people’s safety nets,” Apostle Mbaigbo added.
“We demand that our lawmakers champion sustainable development partnerships rather than state-mandated suppression. “The Tropical Gate Foundation will continue to stand firmly alongside civil society coalitions to legally resist any encroachment on our constitutional rights to organise and serve.”
