CIVIL SOCIETY ADVOCACY AND MULTI-STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION FOR INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE
Keywords:
Agenda 2063, Civil Society Advocacy, Inclusive Governance, Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration, Institutional Reform
Abstract
This paper examines the role of civil society advocacy and multi-stakeholder collaboration in promoting inclusive governance in Africa, with specific reference to the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and related normative frameworks. Methodologically, it draws on a qualitative approach combining documentary analysis of African Union (AU) legal and policy instruments with grounded insights from five semi-structured interviews conducted in Ghana, involving actors from local government, youth leadership, academia, civil society, and grassroots citizen engagement. The paper argues that civil society organisations (CSOs) operate within a historically contested space shaped by colonial legacies and post-independence governance models that often marginalise civic participation. It presents evidence that, despite persistent structural constraints, CSOs continue to serve as watchdogs, civic educators, and co-creators of public policy, particularly where and when they are institutionally recognised and meaningfully engaged. Key discussion areas include the shrinking of civic space, politicisation of legitimacy, and promising multi-stakeholder models such as participatory budgeting and citizen-led monitoring. Drawing on comparative insights from Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Tunisia, the paper demonstrates that inclusive governance is most effectively realised when collaboration is not just symbolic or token but embedded in law, practice, and governance architectural systems. The paper concludes by underscoring the need to move beyond fragmented participation and toward enabling frameworks that secure civil society’s long-term role. The paper suggests a need to embed civil society engagement as a core component of governance across AU Member States. Member States should consider the formal institutionalisation of multi-stakeholder platforms and the development of domestic civic endowment funds to reduce donor dependency.
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AfDB. (2021). Public Sector Governance and Accountability in Africa. https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/sectors/governance
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Ansell, C., & Gash, A. (2008). Collaborative governance in theory and practice. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(4), 543–571. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mum032
Bjorkman, M., & Svensson, J. (2009). Power to the people: Evidence from a randomized field experiment on community-based monitoring in Uganda. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124(2), 735–769. https://doi.org/10.1162/qjec.2009.124.2.735
Bratton, M. (1989). The politics of government–NGO relations in Africa. World Development, 17(4), 569–587. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(89)90263-5
Bratton, M., & van de Walle, N. (1997). Democratic Experiments in Africa: Regime Transitions in Comparative Perspective. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139174657
Buyse, A. (2018). Squeezing civic space: Restrictions on civil society organizations and the linkages with human rights. The International Journal of Human Rights, 22(8), 966–988. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2018.1492916
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Emerson, K., Nabatchi, T., & Balogh, S. (2012). An integrative framework for collaborative governance. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 22(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mur011
Fox, J. A. (2015). Social accountability: What does the evidence really say? World Development, 72, 346-361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.03.011
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Gaventa, J., & Barrett, G. (2012). Mapping the outcomes of citizen engagement. World Development, 40(12), 2399-2410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.05.014
Gyimah-Boadi, E. (2009). Civil society and democratic development. Ghana Center for Democratic Development. https://www.cddgh.org/
Human Rights Watch. (2019). DR Congo: Child labor in cobalt mines. https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/11/13/dr-congo-child-labor-cobalt-mines
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International IDEA. (2019). Engaging Citizens in Policy Making: Strategies for Inclusive Participation. https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/engaging-citizens-policy-making
International Telecommunication Union. (2023). Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2023. Geneva, Switzerland. https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/facts-figures-2023/
Jonas, O., & Seabo, B. (2015). Making ECOSOCC work: Present challenges and future prospects. Afro Asian Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 1-21.
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Maathai, W. (2004). The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the approach and the experience. Lantern Books. https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/
Makumbe, J. M. (1998). Is there a civil society in Africa? International Affairs, 74(2), 305-317.
Makuwira, J. (2014). Non-Governmental Development Organizations and the Poverty Reduction Agenda: The Moral Crusaders. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315769629
Mati, J. M. (2012). Social movements and socio-political change in Africa: The Ufungamano initiative and Kenyan constitutional reform struggles (1999–2005). Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 23(1), 63-84. doi:10.1007/s11266-011-9241-1
Mati, J. M. (2017). Philanthropy in Contemporary Africa: A Review. Voluntaristics Review, 1(6), 1-100. https://doi.org/10.1163/24054933-12340014
Mbondenyi, M. K., & Ochieng, S. O. (2013). Constitutionalism and democratic governance in Africa: Contemporary perspectives from Sub-Saharan Africa. Pretoria University Law Press. https://www.pulp.up.ac.za/component/edocman/1042
Murigu, Y. M. K. (2003). The Ufungamano initiative in Kenya. Wajibu, 18(3), 10-11. https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10169717_1330
Mutunga, W. (2015). The 2010 Constitution of Kenya and its interpretation: Reflections from the Supreme Court's decisions. Speculum Juris, 29(1), 1–21. https://www.saflii.org/za/journals/SPECJU/2015/6.html
Nobel Prize. (2015). The Nobel Peace Prize 2015 – National Dialogue Quartet. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2015/summary/
Nyanchoga, S. A. (2020). Civil society in Africa. In A. Khamis & B. Mutua (Eds.), African Governance, Development and Leadership in the 21st Century (Chapter 6). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429262401-6/civil-society-samuel-nyanchoga
Nyang’oro, J. E. (1999). Civil society and democratic development in Africa. African Studies Quarterly, 3(1). http://sites.clas.ufl.edu/africanquarterly/files/Nyangoro-Vol-3-Issue-1.pdf
Odiyo, W., & Chiira, N. W. (2017). The influence of African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) training programs on public service delivery in Kenya. Saudi Journal of Business and Management Studies, 2(12A), 1058-1065. https://doi.org/10.21276/sjbms.2017.2.12.8
Olowu, D., & Wunsch, J. S. (2004). Local Governance in Africa: The Challenges of Democratic Decentralization. Lynne Rienner Publishers. https://www.rienner.com/title/Local_Governance_in_Africa_The_Challenges_of_Democratic_Decentralization
Omollo, A. (2011). Policy Proposals on Citizen Participation in Devolved Governance in Kenya. https://repository.kippra.or.ke/handle/123456789/778
PAP. (2023, May 20). Pan-African Parliament embraces Civil Society Forum's resolutions, recommendations. https://pap.au.int/en/news/press-releases/2023-05-20/pap-embraces-civil-society-forums-resolutions-recommendations
Rwigi, K. E., Manga, E., & Michuki, G. (2020). New wine in an old wineskin? Socio-political context and participatory budgeting in Kenya. Journal of Eastern African Studies, 14(3), 492-511. https://doi.org/10.1080/17531055.2020.1768469
Sangwa, S., & Mutabazi, P. (2025). Assessing the Effectiveness of E-Governance in Public Service Delivery: A Comparative Study of Digitization Efforts in Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana. Open Journal of Stewardship Economics & Ethical Innovation (OJ‑SEI), 1 (1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16723425
Scott, G. K. (2025). The impact of technology on citizen whistleblowing in addressing public-sector corruption in Ghana. In Reddy P., Jones, C., Pillay, P., & Zondi, S. (eds). Whistleblowing and Whistleblowers in Africa: Promoting Accountable and Ethical Societies. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
SEND Ghana. (2013). Making the budget work for Ghana: Citizens’ participation in the budget process. https://www.sendwestafrica.org/
Toepler, S., Zimmer, A., Levy, K., & Fröhlich, C. (2023). Beyond the partnership paradigm: Toward an extended typology of government/nonprofit relationship patterns. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(1_suppl), 160S-186S. https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640221112890
UNDP. (2021). Participatory Governance and Civic Engagement in Africa. https://www.undp.org/publications/participatory-governance-and-civic-engagement-africa
Voufo, C., Gala, P. M., & Barron Rodriguez, M. R. (2025). Analyzing the gender digital skills divide in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current state and contributing factors. World Bank Group.
Wampler, B., & Hartz-Karp, J. (2012). Participatory budgeting: Diffusion and outcomes across the world. Journal of Public Deliberation, 8(2). https://deliberationjournal.org/article/view/400
World Bank. (2013). CSOs and service delivery: Issues and options for improved engagement. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/481341468159895307/csos-and-service-delivery-issues-and-options-for-improved-engagement
YouthLink Senegal. (2020). Digital platforms for youth engagement and electoral literacy. YouthLink Senegal.
