Oyebisi Babatunde Oluseyi, the Executive Director of the Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO), has issued a bold challenge to G7 leaders, demanding they move past empty rhetoric and take decisive action to defend multilateralism, reverse crippling aid cuts, and protect shrinking civic spaces worldwide.
Delivering a powerful keynote address at the opening session of the Civil 7 (C7) Summit in Paris, France, Oluseyi urged world leaders to match their global commitments with concrete financing and structural changes. He emphasized that civil society is not an optional partner but an indispensable force required to address today’s interconnected global crises.
The high-level C7 Summit, convened under the theme “Global Justice and Solidarity: Mobilizing for Change,” serves as the official platform for global civil society to formulate strict policy recommendations ahead of the upcoming G7 Leaders’ Summit.
“Civil society is not an accessory to global solutions; we are at the heart of them,” Oluseyi declared during his address.
A Defining Test for Global Governance
Addressing an audience of international stakeholders, the NNNGO chief described the current geopolitical landscape as a definitive test for international cooperation and global governance. He pointed to a harsh convergence of crises, including escalating conflicts, growing humanitarian emergencies, worsening climate disasters, and severe health challenges.
Alarmingly, Oluseyi noted that these pressures are peaking at a time when development assistance is sharply declining and civic spaces are being aggressively restricted across the globe.
“This is not a normal G7 year,” Oluseyi warned. “It is a test of whether the G7 will defend multilateralism, international law, and global solidarity in practice—not just in speeches.”
From Charity to Structural Justice
Speaking on behalf of the Global South, Oluseyi shifted the narrative from dependency to equity, stating clearly that developing nations and civil society organizations are no longer begging for handouts.
“We are not here to ask for charity. We are calling for justice,” he stated.
He demanded that global leaders make courageous political choices to dismantle structural inequalities, democratize global financial governance, protect fundamental human rights, and ensure that frontline communities have a decisive voice in international policymaking. As the head of Nigeria’s peak civil society body, Oluseyi stressed the urgency of rebalancing global systems that consistently marginalize those most vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.
Holding the G7 Accountable
The keynote address pulled no punches regarding the contradictions within Western foreign policies. Oluseyi challenged G7 governments to align their domestic actions with their international promises, highlighting the hypocrisy of publicly championing global unity while enacting policies that weaken global institutions.
“You cannot claim to defend multilateralism while cutting aid, weakening institutions, or applying international law selectively,” Oluseyi noted.
He reminded the summit that the G7’s massive influence over international development finance and global policy frameworks carries a proportional weight of responsibility and accountability that cannot be ignored.
Civil Society as a Strategic Partner
Drawing from the lived experiences of grassroots organizations worldwide, Oluseyi highlighted the frontline roles that CSOs play in executing humanitarian responses, protecting human rights, driving community development, and enforcing anti-corruption accountability.
Because of this, he called for immediate institutional protections for activists, flexible and sustainable funding mechanisms for non-profits, and permanent seats for civil society within global decision-making bodies.
“Without civil society, there is no accountability, no legitimacy, and no lasting progress,” he stressed.
A Clear Call to Action
The overarching goals of the C7 Summit focus heavily on advancing systemic reforms regarding international humanitarian law, global financial system overhauls, the future of development aid, and countering global crackdowns on civil liberties.
Closing his address, Oluseyi presented a definitive roadmap, calling on G7 leaders to:
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Reverse deep cuts to Official Development Assistance (ODA).
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Recommit to global solidarity targets, specifically the 0.7% Gross National Income (GNI) aid target.
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Protect civic spaces and uphold fundamental human rights.
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Promote an inclusive, accountable, and effective multilateral framework.
“The world does not need another declaration of concern,” Oluseyi concluded. “It needs concrete choices.”
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