Spaces for Change

Happy to announce that the 3rd Africa High-Level Civil Society Conference on AML/CFT (#3AFRICACFT] will hold in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria on July 14-17, 2026, with the theme: "Implementing FATF Recommendation 8 Correctly: Practices, Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Reform."   Join AML/CFT stakeholders from across the world to discuss ways of building locally-rooted solutions for curbing financial crimes in the African continent while ensuring that measures enforced to combat money laundering and terrorism financing do not disrupt civil society or harm local communities. Read more spacesforchange.org/3rd-high-level…

Last week, @Spaces4Change's housing rights partner, the Communities Alliance Against Displacement (CAD), held its first general meeting of the year in Lagos, Nigeria. Bringing together 53 leaders and representatives from Lagos' informal communities that have either suffered forced eviction or are still facing imminent eviction threats, the meeting enabled CAD members to reflect on the past year's advocacy initiatives and develop new strategies for sustaining the momentum for collective action at a time when housing rights violations persist. Community representatives also discussed how to deepen their engagement with relevant stakeholders, particularly as the country moves closer to the election season. The meeting ended with decisive actions for addressing forced eviction, promoting housing rights, scaling solidarity action, and pursuing legal redress where appropriate. #HousingRights #Displacement #HousingRightsAreHumanRights

IT’S A WRAP!!! 🎉 We are proud to stand with the Action Group on Free Civic Space (@ActionGroupFCS) and our global partner, The Fund for Global Human Rights (@FundHumanRights), in amplifying stories of resilience and strengthening efforts to safeguard civic space in Nigeria🇳🇬 #Civicspace #Documentary #Resilience

ARE YOU GEARING UP FOR AFRICA'S BIGGEST CIVIL SOCIETY-LED CONVENING ON AML/CFT? Join us for the 3rd High-Level Africa AML/CFT Conference on 14-17 of July 2026, bringing together policymakers, regulators, civil society actors, financial experts, and key stakeholders from across the continent to discuss ways of building locally-rooted solutions for curbing financial crimes in Africa, while ensuring that measures enforced to combat money laundering and terrorism financing do not disrupt civil society operations or harm local communities. The Conference will feature: - Insightful Masterclasses 🎓🧠 - High-level plenary sessions ⚡🔝 - Interactive panel sessions 🎤🗣️📝 - Networking opportunities 🌐🔗👥 - Exciting group tours 🚌📍🗺️ Be part of this continental platform for conferences within a conference, convened around the theme: "Implementing FATF Recommendation 8 Correctly: Practices, Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Reform". For more information and registration, click here 👉 shorturl.at/0n9wF #3AMLCFT2026 #AML #CFT

@Spaces4Change launched a report titled "Victims Speak: Techniques, Patterns, and Impacts of Targeted Surveillance in Nigeria", using @GSIWorkspaces Abuja. For more enquiries on the space, call 07067258900 You can download shorturl.at/ZYi1b

Yesterday, CSO representatives, legal practitioners, government regulators, media professionals, and investigative journalists joined @Spaces4Change in Abuja for the local launch of its pacesetting report - "Victims Speak: Techniques, Patterns, and Impacts of Targeted Surveillance in Nigeria", focused on targeted surveillance, digital repression, cyber harassment, and the shrinking civic space in Nigeria. The report documents the lived experiences of civic actors targeted by unlawful surveillance in Nigeria. The conversation at the Launch explored patterns of abuse, the impact on victims, accountability gaps, and the urgent need for stronger safeguards for digital rights and civic freedoms. Participants expressed concern over the scale and sophistication of surveillance techniques documented in the report, as well as the limited avenues for victims to seek redress or accountability. Many were alarmed by how victims often face intimidation, psychological distress, reputational harm, and financial consequences without adequate institutional support or remedies, reflecting how these experiences affect victims beyond the digital space. Click the link to read the report - shorturl.at/ZYi1b #DigitalRights #Surveillance #OnlineFreedom

@Dataphytefdn was represented by @LucyOkonkw19700 at the official launch of @Spaces4Change's new report, “Victims Speak: Techniques, Patterns, and Impacts of Targeted Surveillance in Nigeria.” The event brought together voices of individuals who shared troubling experiences of surveillance and the emotional, social, psychological, and personal toll it has taken on their lives. The conversations at the launch reinforced a growing reality: privacy is no longer only a digital issue; it is increasingly a civic, governance, and human rights concern. As technology becomes deeply embedded in everyday life, concerns around surveillance, data access, consent, and accountability can no longer be overlooked. From mobile phones to digital platforms and everyday applications, the tools many people rely on daily now possess the capacity to collect, track, and monitor personal information at unprecedented levels. Nigeria’s Lawful Interception of Communications Regulations (LICR) further raises important questions about oversight and citizens’ digital rights, as it requires communication platforms operating within the country to maintain interception capabilities for government access. The reality is that many citizens may already be under different forms of surveillance without fully realising it. The devices we carry, the platforms we interact with, and the digital footprints we leave behind continue to generate vast amounts of personal data. The increasing surveillance of citizens by both state and non-state actors shows the urgent need for stronger transparency, accountability, legal safeguards, and independent oversight around data collection, interception, and surveillance practices in Nigeria.

A few weeks ago, during my trip to Abidjan for the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum 2026 @DRIForum, I had the privilege of attending the launch of Spaces for Change, a book authored by Michael Itegbe, Judith Chiamaka Ohaeri, and Benjamin Mba.

In this month's newsletter, we reflect on some of our April activities. From the launch of our latest report to a global audience at #DRIF26 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, to building the organizational resilience for NPOs in South-West Nigeria, advocating for the financial inclusion of NPOs, empowering young Imolites for greater engagement, and strengthening our housing rights partners towards enhancing the effectiveness of their joint campaigns against forced eviction and displacement affecting vulnerable and marginalized communities in cities across Nigeria, our activities cut across our digital rights, civic space protection, and housing and urban governbance desks respectively. Click the link to read more 👉 shorturl.at/4mvxR #RegulatoryCompliance #DigitalRights #HousingRights #YouthInclusion

Recently, @Spaces4Change convened the meeting of the expanded Steering Committee on the Imo Climate Change Policy in Owerri, bringing together government, civil society, a representative of the Imo State Traditional Rulers' Council, academia, technical experts, partners, and media to advance implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) of the Imo State Climate Change Policy. Discussions moved beyond rhetoric, interrogating priorities, evidence, and accountability across key sectors. With climate risks already visible, the Committee agreed on immediate steps, including stakeholder mapping, coordination, vulnerability assessments, and diagnostics. Central to this is inclusion, ensuring women, youth, and communities drive action. By the end of the event, all 26 members of the enlarged committee reached a consensus that the CCAP process must move beyond policy discussions towards a practical framework capable of delivering measurable, accountable, and inclusive climate action outcomes for Imo State. #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #WomenInclusion

Strengthening the frontline against financial crime! 🔒 Spaces for Change (S4C) and SCUML are set to host the 3rd Africa High-Level AML/CFT Conference. This summit will focus on protecting the non-profit sector while ensuring robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks. Read the full story here: dnnmedia.ng/s4c-scuml-to-h… @Spaces4Change #dnnmedia #devnewsng #amlcft #financialintegrity #spacesforchange

Recently, 35 executive directors, program managers, and finance officers of non-profit organizations operating in Nigeria's South West region participated in another edition of the NGO Regulatory Compliance and Tax Clinic (RCC) organized by @Spaces4Change under the @csrhubWA project. Over three days, participants gained the resources and expertise to strengthen their corporate governance and organizational effectiveness. The presentations, group exercises, and interactive sessions deepened their understanding of the regulatory compliance requirements for nonprofits and provided strategies for achieving corporate longevity, resilience, and sustainability. How to combat money laundering and reduce the organization's risk exposure to terrorism financing were central to the discussions over the three days. A key takeaway is that the growth and sustainability of organizations is neither accidental nor driven by passion alone; it must be backed by building resilient systems that can sustain impact, ensure compliance, and withstand an increasingly complex operating environment. #RegulatoryCompliance #Sustainability

We are very excited to launch our latest report - VICTIMS SPEAK: Techniques, Patterns and Impact of Targeted Surveillance in Nigeria - during our panel session at the 2026 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (#DRIF26) currently taking place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The new report documented the firsthand experiences of victims, outlining the triggers, the techniques used, the patterns identified, and the impact of targeted surveillance on civic actors, particularly journalists, activists, protesters, and other persons. The panel session also featured a powerful testimony by a surveillance victim and the real-life consequences of being surveilled. A team of experts from civil society, law enforcement, and the digital rights community dissected the findings, exploring the legal, human rights, and accountability tensions associated with unlawful surveillance practices across Africa. DOWNLOAD THE REPORT 📘 : shorturl.at/H7hFp

Nigeria's tri-sector dialogue continued its collaborative problem-solving mandate at the 4th General Meeting of the Multi-Stakeholder Working Group on Charities (MSWGC), held in Lagos last week. The gathering brought together a tri-sectoral mix of NPO representatives, law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and regulatory authorities to sustain their joint efforts toward improving financial access for Nigeria’s non-profits. With many NPOs still constrained by layers of compliance requirements that restrict their access to financial services and formal payment channels, stakeholders examined specific cases of restrictions, especially those arising from foreign exchange (FX) transactions and banks' onboarding procedures. These enhanced measures enforced by financial institutions in a blanket manner are not only contrary to the outcomes of the national TF risk assessment of the NPO sector, but are also adding to pre-existing regulatory burdens. Solving these challenges requires continuous multi-stakeholder dialogue, risk-informed empathy, and adherence to the risk-based approach consistent with the revised FATF Recommendation 8. #RegulatoryCompliance #NPOs

In this month's newsletter, we reflect on some of our March activities. From our participation in the official kick-off of the 2nd National Risk Assessment of the NPO Sector, co-convening the 4th Learning and Practice Workshop in Togo, to drumming up support for the Human Rights Defenders Bill at the public hearing in Abuja, and partnering to 'Centering Gender in Extractive Justice' in Senegal, our activities cut across our civic space protection, women and gender inclusion, and extractive justice desks respectively. Click the link to read more👉 shorturl.at/iU1bt

🚨3 DAYS TO #DRIF26🚨 Join @Spaces4Change for an interactive session at the Digital Rights Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in Abidjan, where we will be discussing the theme: The Impact of Surveillance in Africa: Accountability Gaps and Policy Recommendations. See the flyer for more details 👇 #DigitalRights #DRIF #Abidjan

.@Spaces4Change and @ESCRNet, in solidarity with the residents of Makoko, are leading this collective call for justice!⚖️📢 What is happening in Makoko is not just a local issue; it reflects a broader pattern of displacement driven by unequal urban development. Located along the Lagos lagoon, Makoko sits on land increasingly targeted for high-value urban and luxury projects. Under the guise of “development,” communities are being pushed out to make way for investment and profit. We must come together to challenge these injustices and support communities defending their homes, their livelihoods, and their futures. Sign the letter and amplify this call 📢👇 ✒️ shorturl.at/q7ZKT #Makoko