The National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and the Parliament of Malaysia have shared ideas on how to strengthen parliamentary administration through knowledge sharing and institutional collaboration.
This took place during a NASC delegation’s study visit to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
In a statement issued to journalists on Sunday in Abuja, the Deputy Director of Information and Spokesperson of the NASC, Emmanuel Anyigor, confirmed that the visit was part of the Commission’s broader agenda to benchmark global best practices and improve service delivery in Nigeria’s legislative system.
Leading the Nigerian delegation was the Executive Chairman of the NASC, Chief Saviour Enyiekere, accompanied by Commissioners, chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Public Service, and senior management staff of the Commission. The delegation was received by the Parliament of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
He said the engagement provided a platform for both institutions to exchange ideas on effective legislative management, human resource development, and innovation in parliamentary processes and procedures.
In his opening remarks, the vhairman of NASC, Chief Saviour Enyiekere, explained that the visit was part of the Commission’s efforts to benchmark international best practices and enhance service delivery within Nigeria’s legislative bureaucracy.
“We believe that exposure to global standards in parliamentary administration will not only improve the capacity of our staff but also strengthen the institutional framework of the National Assembly,” Enyiekere stated.
He commended the Malaysian Parliament for the warm reception and cordiality extended to the Nigerian delegation during the visit. He recalled that Nigeria and Malaysia shared close bilateral relations and common positions on many issues in international diplomacy.
On his part, the Chief Administrator of the Malaysian Parliament, Dato Ahmad Hussaini bin Abdul Rahman, who was represented by the Head of the Management Division of the House of Representatives, Amisyahrizan bin Amir Khan, welcomed the NASC delegation and applauded Nigeria’s commitment to continuous institutional development. He pointed out that the visit of the Nigerian delegation would enhance Inter-Parliamentary co-operation between the two Commonwealth countries.
“Inter-parliamentary cooperation is key to the growth of democratic governance. Malaysia and Nigeria share a common goal of strengthening the legislature as a pillar of democracy,” he said.
Beyond the remarks during the opening ceremony, the delegation also had technical sessions with various departments of the Malaysian Parliament to understudy their systems of human resources management, record management, staff welfare, legislative research, and administrative processes and procedures.
During the interactive sessions, it was discovered that the NASC and the Parliament of Malaysia had similarities in the legislative manpower management. The Malaysian Parliament had recently enacted a law for the establishment of Parliamentary Service Board, which, like the NASC, will be the statutory body to manage the manpower of the Parliment The board, as revealed, would be constituted in no time.
However, the technical sessions further revealed that the Parlimen Malaysia has an advanced policy of preparing its workers for retirement. Here, two years before retirement, officers are made to undergo a series of training programmes that would transition them from civil service to private business engagements after retirement.
As part of the visit, the delegation was led on a guided tour of the Parliment. Apart from visiting the state-of-the-art Parliment Library, the team was admitted to the plenary session of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) by the Speaker, Tan Sri Dato (Dr) Johari bin Abdul, who noted that the Nigerian NASC visit was good for promoting the global South-South co-operation.
Both sides agreed to explore future collaboration through staff exchange programmes, training workshops, and the sharing of administrative resources.
The visit formed part of the NASC’s broader initiative to promote excellence, transparency, and innovation in the management of Nigeria’s legislative institutions.
At the end of the very fruitful visit, both sides exchanged souvenirs as a way of keeping the good memories of the visit. The parliamentary study visit was facilitated by the Nigerian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
