ABSTRACT

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were prominent in Africa during the colonial era. They emerge as instruments and weapons of opposition to the inhuman practices of the colonial masters, especially in relation to labour and work conditions. They emerge as stronger voices during the period of military regimes in Africa. And with the emerging democracy, they continue to be the voice of the people and the shaping of democratic principles and ideals. The paper adopted liberal democratic theory and employed the secondary method of data collection. The data were analysed qualitatively. The findings uncovered the limitations of CSOs as being financially dependent and facing repression from the government. The paper recommends, among others, that the government should give CSOs freedom and a level playing field on the issues bordering human rights and political activities. Keywords: