The visit was undertaken as part of CISD's Youth, Debt, Development and Climate Change Project, implemented with the support of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, and explored concrete areas of collaboration between both institutions.
Speaking during the engagement, the Acting Chairman enlightened the CISD team on several provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, including the opportunities the law creates for citizens to make inputs into the national budget process. He noted, significantly, that the 2007 Act empowers every Nigerian to hold the various tiers of government to account, without requiring locus standi, making fiscal accountability a right available to all citizens, not just those directly affected.
The Acting Chairman also disclosed that the Commission is working closely with key institutions, including the Debt Management Office (DMO) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to deliver on its mandate of promoting prudent management of the nation's resources.
CISD's head of operations, Chinonso Aluma alongside the Acting Chairperson of FRC, Charles Chukwuemeka Ababa.
Going further, the Acting Chairman offered a number of recommendations which, in his view, would help reposition Nigeria for fiscal sustainability and inclusive development. He called for a deliberate focus on attitudinal change, anchored on behavioural studies, an area that sits squarely within CISD's mandate, noting that lasting reform begins with a shift in how citizens and public officials relate to public resources. He also stressed the need for widespread financial literacy to equip Nigerians with the knowledge to understand and engage with public finance issues; comprehensive financial system reform to strengthen transparency and efficiency; and a renewed focus on Local Governments, the tier of government closest to the people and most critical to grassroots development.
In response, the CISD delegation expressed the Centre's readiness to collaborate with the Commission, particularly in educating Nigerians on the FRC's mandate and how citizens can access and engage with the Commission's processes.
This engagement marks an important step towards fostering partnerships that empower young people to participate meaningfully in conversations around public debt, sustainable development, climate action, and accountable governance.
CISD remains committed to building bridges between citizens, especially young Nigerians, and the institutions charged with safeguarding the country's fiscal future.
About the Youth, Debt, Development and Climate Change Project
The Youth, Debt, Development and Climate Change Project is a CISD initiative supported by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung. The project seeks to deepen youth understanding of and engagement in issues of public debt, sustainable development, and climate action in Nigeria.
The Centre for Inclusive Social Development (CISD) is a non-profit research and advocacy organisation working to advance inclusive governance, gender and social equity, civic technology, and sustainable livelihoods across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. Through rigorous research, coalition-building, and public-interest storytelling, CISD amplifies the voices of marginalised communities and holds power accountable.
Learn more at cisdnigeria.org or follow us on social media.
How to cite this article
CISD. (2026, June 11). CISD Pays Courtesy Visit to Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Explores Collaboration: CISD remains committed to building bridges between citizens, especially young Nigerians, and the institutions charged with safeguarding the country's fiscal future.. CISD Insights. Centre for Inclusive Social Development. Retrieved from https://cisdnigeria.org/article/cisd-pays-courtesy-visit-to-fiscal-responsibility-commission-explores-partnership/.
