The Lagos Civil Society Participation for Development (LACSOP) has launched The CLAIM App, a digital platform designed to strengthen community reporting, documentation and advocacy, while renewing its call for greater citizen participation and government accountability across Lagos State.
The platform was unveiled at the organisation’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on Thursday, November 5, at the DevComs Building, Surulere, Lagos, where members reviewed its achievements, programmes and strategic priorities.
The meeting brought together representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders to discuss the role of civil society in promoting inclusive governance, strengthening accountability and addressing challenges affecting community development.
Discussions also focused on the sustainability of CSOs, institutional compliance, resource mobilisation, knowledge management and the need for stronger collaboration among organisations working to improve governance and public participation.
LACSOP Reaffirms Commitment to Inclusive Governance and Accountability
Speaking at the AGM, LACSOP Executive Secretary, Mrs. Dede Kadiri, appreciated participating civil society organisations and other stakeholders for their commitment to the organisation, particularly amid shrinking civic space and growing public apathy towards governance.
She emphasised that citizens’ participation remains essential to good governance, urging CSOs, whether funded or unfunded, as well as interested individuals, to remain actively engaged in public affairs and hold government accountable.
Kadiri said civil society organisations must not abandon their responsibilities because of funding challenges, noting that sustained citizen engagement is necessary to achieve meaningful development.
Established in 2007, LACSOP provides a platform for collaboration among civil society organisations, government engagement and policy advocacy across Lagos State.
Kadiri also highlighted the organisation’s vision of becoming the state’s premier citizens’ platform for partnerships and participation in governance, while tracing the development of its distinctive CLAIM projects from the original CLAIM for Social Protection initiative to other areas of community development and accountability.
CLAIM Projects Target Community Development and Environmental Challenges
Ms. Lara Olusaiye, representing the Programme Management and Coordination Committee, highlighted LACSOP’s interventions in community development, environmental sustainability and accountability.
She outlined initiatives including CLAIM WASH, CLAIM Climate Change and circular economy projects, which seek to address environmental challenges, promote responsible waste management and encourage community participation in sustainable development.
The initiatives reflect LACSOP’s broader approach to connecting citizens with development processes and encouraging community-level action on issues affecting their environment and well-being.
Through these programmes, the organisation continues to engage civil society groups and other stakeholders on the importance of sustainable development and collective responsibility.
The discussions also highlighted the need for stronger coordination and continued community involvement in ensuring that development interventions respond to the needs and priorities of residents.
CSOs Urged to Strengthen Accountability, Sustainability and Compliance
Mr. Akin Jimoh, Founder of the Development Communications Network (DevComs), challenged civil society organisations to examine their relevance and sustainability, particularly when external funding is limited.
He asked organisations to consider whether the communities they serve would miss their interventions if they stopped operating, urging them to demonstrate their impact, build public trust and sustain meaningful engagement beyond donor-funded projects.
Similarly, Rev. Bola Nuga, representing the Resource Mobilisation Committee, highlighted challenges associated with multiple registration processes and varying requirements imposed by government ministries, departments and agencies on civil society organisations.
He called for harmonised registration procedures to reduce duplication, inconsistent requirements and financial obligations facing CSOs, while emphasising the importance of self-regulation, institutional compliance and accountability in strengthening public confidence in the sector.
The discussions reinforced the need for civil society organisations to build stronger institutions, improve operational standards and demonstrate their contributions to communities while maintaining transparent and accountable practices.
New CLAIM App to Drive Community Reporting and Evidence-Based Advocacy
A major highlight of the AGM was the unveiling of The CLAIM App, a digital platform designed to enable member civil society organisations to report community issues for documentation, monitoring and follow-up.
The platform supports LACSOP’s broader Knowledge Management and Communications (KMC) approach by capturing information from communities and generating evidence that can inform advocacy, decision-making and engagement with relevant authorities.
Margaret ChiChi Nkire, LACSOP’s KMC Lead, explained that knowledge management and communications extend beyond publicity and social media activities to include documenting organisational experiences, generating evidence, preserving institutional knowledge and communicating results.
She encouraged member organisations to integrate KMC into their activities to demonstrate their impact, improve visibility and strengthen opportunities for partnerships and policy engagement.
The application will be coordinated by the KMC Committee as part of efforts to improve how community-level concerns are documented, monitored and communicated for advocacy and follow-up.
LACSOP Calls for Stronger Partnerships to Advance Citizen Participation
The AGM reinforced the importance of coordination among civil society organisations, institutional compliance, shared knowledge and collective action in strengthening governance and accountability across Lagos State.
The discussions also highlighted the need for CSOs to remain relevant to the communities they serve by building public trust, improving their institutional capacity and sustaining engagement beyond individual projects and funding cycles.
LACSOP called on member organisations, government institutions and development partners to deepen collaboration and invest in evidence-driven approaches that strengthen civil society engagement and accountability.
The organisation reiterated that meaningful citizen participation, effective partnerships and sustained advocacy remain essential to building inclusive governance and ensuring that community voices are reflected in development decisions across Lagos State.
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