The TY Danjuma Foundation and key stakeholders in Nigeria’s philanthropic and civil society sectors have called for sweeping reforms of the country’s philanthropy ecosystem, including the establishment of an independent Nigerian Philanthropy Forum to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, improve accountability and reduce dependence on foreign development assistance.
The stakeholders warned that declining international aid, weak institutional coordination, inadequate financial disclosure and regulatory bottlenecks could threaten development programmes, particularly those targeting vulnerable communities, unless Nigeria builds a sustainable domestic funding system.
The call was made at an ecosystem convening organised by the TY Danjuma Foundation in partnership with the African Philanthropy Forum (APF) and other development partners to explore strategies for promoting local giving, improving the regulatory environment and restoring public confidence in charitable institutions.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the TY Danjuma Foundation, Mrs Hannatu Gentles, said the initiative was designed to transform Nigeria’s longstanding culture of generosity into a more structured, coordinated and sustainable instrument for national development.
She noted that although Nigerians had a strong tradition of giving, much of the philanthropy remained informal, making it difficult to track contributions, coordinate interventions and assess their overall development impact.
Gentles disclosed that the Foundation had commissioned research into structured philanthropy in Nigeria and international best practices in regulating charitable organisations to identify institutional gaps and recommend policies that would encourage domestic giving.
Presenting findings from the mapping exercise, Executive Director of the Nigeria Network of NGOs, Oluseyi Oyebisi, said Nigeria had sufficient philanthropic resources but lacked the institutional infrastructure, reliable data and accountability mechanisms needed to translate private contributions into measurable development outcomes.
He explained that the research sought to develop a comprehensive database of non-profit organisations and philanthropic funding in the country, particularly amid declining international development assistance.
According to him, Nigeria recorded a 10 per cent decline in aid volume and outcomes, while 79 per cent of the country’s development assistance in 2024 came from donors that had subsequently announced funding cuts.
Oyebisi warned that the emerging funding gap made it imperative for Nigeria to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and develop alternative financing mechanisms to sustain critical development and humanitarian interventions.
The study also tracked approximately N373 billion in Host Community Development Trust funding across more than 536 projects, highlighting the significant resources available within the country.
However, he identified transparency and financial disclosure as major challenges, revealing that only 1.3 per cent of the organisations captured in the database provided information on their corporate social responsibility expenditure.
He also cited fragmented regulations, overlapping institutional requirements and weak confidence in financial reporting as major obstacles to the sector’s growth, advocating harmonised policies, improved data management and stronger accountability standards.
On the proposed Nigerian Philanthropy Forum, Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Forum, Mosun Layode, said Nigeria needed an independent institution capable of bringing donors, foundations, civil society organisations and other development stakeholders together under a common agenda.
She stressed that Nigerian stakeholders must take ownership of establishing and sustaining the proposed institution, while APF would provide technical assistance, resources and pro bono support.
Layode maintained that the forum must be formally registered, properly structured and independently managed rather than operate as an informal platform without the institutional capacity to ensure continuity.
She urged Nigerian philanthropists and foundations to identify credible leadership and mobilise the initial funding required to establish the organisation, with the long-term objective of building a financially sustainable institution with its own office and independent operations.
She cited TrustAfrica, which developed beyond its initial support from the Ford Foundation, as an example of how sustained commitment could produce an enduring philanthropic institution.
Also presenting findings from a comparative study of philanthropic systems in the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa, Dr Ebrima Sall highlighted institutional and regulatory lessons Nigeria could adopt.
He emphasised the importance of clear legislation, effective collaboration, institutional capacity and accessible accountability mechanisms, citing the UK’s Charity Commission as an example of how public access to information enables donors to assess the credibility of charitable organisations before making contributions.
Similarly, Co-founder of IdeaPlus Consultant, Dayo Olaide, called for stronger government engagement with foundations and civil society organisations, noting that philanthropic institutions controlled significant financial resources and influence that could be better harnessed for national development.
Olaide proposed the establishment of a $300 million accelerator fund over three years to support interventions targeting neglected tropical diseases.
He also expressed concern over the tax burden on non-profit organisations, particularly building taxes, warning that excessive fiscal obligations could limit their capacity to implement social and development programmes.
In her closing remarks, Gentles reaffirmed the TY Danjuma Foundation’s commitment to strengthening philanthropy in Nigeria, stressing that institutional coordination, transparency and an enabling regulatory environment were critical to making domestic giving more strategic and impactful.
Quoting the Foundation’s founder and Chairman Emeritus, she said, “No one is too poor to give,” emphasising that philanthropy should not be restricted to financial contributions but could also involve the donation of assets, time, intellectual capacity and other resources for the benefit of society.
The stakeholders agreed that building a stronger domestic philanthropy system would require more than goodwill, stressing the need for sustainable institutions, increased financial commitments from local donors, improved transparency and collective action.
They maintained that strengthening domestic philanthropy would help cushion the impact of declining foreign aid while giving Nigerians greater ownership of development priorities and the resources deployed to address the country’s social and economic challenges.
