The session hosted by @TapNitiative interrogated the influence of the judiciary on elections and civic participatory rights. Panellists argued that excessive reliance on the courts to determine who participates or hold power in electoral processes undermines the rights of citizens to broker political power, and risks turning the courts into another arena of political contestation, despite the fact that the adjudication of election dispute is consistent with the role of the judiciary in a democratic clime. #CSWWA2026

Closing out Day 1 of the #CSWWA2026, the Civic Space Resource Hub for West Africa (CSRHUB) session moderated by Oumar Ndiaye, Program Officer, @FordFoundation brought together partners of the CSRHUB West Africa project from across the subregion to share their respective and collective experiences across the hub's five strategic pillars, namely: Governance, Digital Security, Research and Knowledge-building, Civic Space Protection, Resource Mobilization and Financial Resilience. #CSWWA2026

'Is the Role of the Judiciary Changing, Evolving or Expanding in West Africa?' In this panel session hosted by @Spaces4Change, judges and legal practitioners from Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, and Niger, alongside participants, examined the complex challenges confronting judicial independence and the exercise of judicial powers across West Africa. Discussions explored executive overreach, threats of reprisal attacks against judicial officers, and allegations of bias, while examining the emerging issues that are pushing the region’s judiciary into increasingly sensitive and complex territory. #CSWWA2026

Giving the keynote address, Hon. Justice George Chibueze Nnamani, President of the Enugu State Customary Court of Appeal, analyzed the balance between human rights, civic space and security in civil and criminal adjudication, stressing that an independent, adequately funded judiciary is essential to upholding constitutional rights, ensuring accountability and addressing the grievances that fuel public discontent and social unrest. #CSWWA2026

WE ARE LIVE AT THE 4TH EDITION OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY WEEK FOR WEST AFRICA (CSWWA) 2026 #CSWWA2026

🚨LESS THAN A WEEK TO GO🚨 How can we collectively strengthen judicial protection for civic space in West Africa? At CSWWA 2026, judicial officers, civil society organisations, policymakers, political actors, academics, and international partners will come together to explore practical answers to this critical question. Check out the flyers below to meet the distinguished speakers and panellists joining this important regional conversation! For more information 👉 shorturl.at/BKHqj #CSWWA2026 @FordFoundation @TapNitiative @ActionGroupFCS ******************************************************************* 🚨PLUS QU’UNE SEMAINE🚨 Comment pouvons-nous, collectivement, renforcer la protection judiciaire de l’espace civique en Afrique de l’Ouest ? Lors du CSWWA 2026, des acteurs du monde judiciaire, des organisations de la société civile, des décideurs politiques, des personnalités politiques, des universitaires et des partenaires internationaux se réuniront pour explorer des solutions concrètes à cette question cruciale. Découvrez les visuels ci-dessous pour faire connaissance avec les intervenants et panélistes de renom qui prendront part à cet important échange régional! Pour plus d’informations 👉 shorturl.at/BKHqj #CSWWA2026

How can women fully participate in the digital economy when legal and cultural barriers continue to constrain their mobility, access to opportunities, and digital inclusion? Spaces for Change (@Spaces4Change) and ARTICLE 19 West Africa (@article19wafric) spotlighted this issue at the two-day Digital Security Clinic held last week in Dakar, Senegal, under the Ford Foundation-supported Civic Space Resource Hub (CSR-HUB) project. Bringing together 40 participants from civil society organisations, media organisations, and vocational training institutions, key conversations explored data protection and privacy, cybersecurity, digital safety through a gender lens, technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), the proliferation of dual-use technologies, and legal remedies for digital rights violations. A critical dimension of these discussions was the intersection between gender equality, digital inclusion, and Senegal’s Family Code. By designating the husband as the head of the household and requiring a wife to reside in the home chosen by her husband, the Code has been criticised for reinforcing gender inequalities and potentially restricting women’s geographical mobility. These constraints can further limit access to digital training, co-working spaces, and technology incubators, many of which are concentrated in Dakar. The Clinic ultimately created a platform for continued advocacy for reforms that promote shared responsibility and gender equality, underscoring the fact that digital security is not just about protecting people online but also about confronting the structural barriers that prevent them from participating safely, equally, and freely in the digital world. #DigitalSecurity #DigitalInclusion

Strengthening civic space is not only about protecting the freedom to organize, dissent, and advocate; it is also about ensuring that the organisations advancing social change have the governance systems, compliance capacity and digital resilience needed to sustain their work. Guided by this mission, Spaces for Change and Ghana's Non-Profit Organizations Secretariat (NPOS) co-organised the Regulatory Compliance and Countering Financing of Terrorism Clinic on September 15-16 in Tamale, Ghana. What makes this Clinic unique is that it primarily targeted civil society organisations and groups operating in the jurisdictions designated as "high-risk" and vulnerable to terrorism financing abuse in Ghana. Delivered under the Civic Space Resource Hub (CSR-Hub) for West Africa, the two-day clinic equipped participating organisations with practical tools and knowledge to strengthen corporate governance, improve organisational effectiveness, as well as their institutional capacities to identify, mitigate and respond to existing and emerging threats to charitable operations. #DigitalSecurity #RegulatoryCompliance

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