In 2024, the 10th House of Representatives, inaugurated on June 13, 2023, marked a year of significant legislative activity, guided by Speaker Hon. Abbas Tajudeen (APC, Kaduna) and Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia). Throughout the year, the House focused on passing key bills, tackling national issues, and refining its legislative processes.
To effectively carry out its core responsibilities of lawmaking, oversight, and representation, the 10th House of Representatives adopted a comprehensive Legislative Agenda, prioritising eight key areas for the year.
These focal points include strengthening good governance, enhancing national security, and advancing law reforms. The House also committed to promoting economic growth and development, while prioritising social sector reforms. Furthermore, the agenda emphasised the importance of inclusion, fostering an open parliament, and influencing Nigeria’s foreign policy.
Additionally, addressing climate change and ensuring environmental sustainability were central to its legislative efforts. With these priorities, the 10th House aimed to drive meaningful change and guide the nation toward a more prosperous and sustainable future.
To kickstart legislative activities in 2024, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, in his address at the resumption of plenary following the Christmas and New Year break on January 30, 2024, announced a proposed Security Summit. This initiative, according to him, aligned with the House’s legislative agenda, which aimed to make impactful recommendations and identify specific areas where legislative intervention can address the ongoing security challenges facing Nigeria. The summit is set to play a crucial role in shaping the House’s approach to tackling national security concerns.
Other key issues and activities of the House he identified for 2024 include; sectoral briefs with MDAs, speedy consideration of electoral reforms, alteration of the 1999 Constitution, improved citizens’ engagement, enhanced oversight, institutional capacity strengthening, and greater collaboration with the executive as well as holding a ‘Legislative Open Week’ to enable Nigerians to engage members in the work that they do.
Consequently, the House held sectoral briefings which featured the Central Bank Governor, Yemi Cardoso and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to dissect the monetary policies, fiscal strategies, and economic growth initiatives; then Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, to ensure enhanced educational standards, promote inclusive access to quality education, and address infrastructure deficits in schools nationwide, as well as Minister of Health, Muhammad Ali Pate, and heads of health agencies with a focus on improving healthcare infrastructure, enhancing disease control measures, and addressing public health emergencies.
The Green Chamber also held the ‘House Open Week 2024’ which featured the presentation of the 10th House of Representatives’ one-year scorecard in July.
According to Speaker Abbas:”the 10th Assembly embraced the ‘OPEN NASS’ Project, which enhances not only oversight and law-making, but also the transparency of the National Assembly itself.
He said then, “As we hold other branches of government accountable, we must equally welcome scrutiny from the public. Through the House Open Week, we are reclaiming the legislature for its rightful owners, namely, the citizens and our constituents.”
The scorecard presented showed how the House fared in its lawmaking functions as enshrined in Sections 4(2) and 4(7) of the 1999 Constitution which empowers the National Assembly (House of Representatives) to make laws for the peace, order, and good governance of the federation. This is principally done through instruments of bills.
The House, within the period under review, passed approximately 89 bills in line with its legislative priorities. These bills cover key areas such as the Electric Power Sector Reform (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Federal Audit Service Bill, 2023; the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill, 2023; the Armed Forces Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and the National Assembly Library Trust Fund Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Others are Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024; the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the National Anthem Bill, 2024; and the Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2023.
Also, the House has taken about 700 motions most of which have been referred to standing and ad-hoc committees for further legislative actions while others have been acted on through engagements with the concerned MDAs.
Other major pieces of legislations passed or debated in the House in 2024 include the South East Development Commission (SEDC), and the North West Development Commission (NWDC) which got presidential assent; bill for the alteration of the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police and the transfer of Police as an item under the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List, bill for an Act to Provide for the Rights of Nigerian Citizens Living Outside the country to vote in certain elections conducted at home, among others.
Beyond legislation, the House undertook various initiatives in 2024 to strengthen public engagement and improve the legislative process.
Accordingly, the House organised a National Dialogue on State Policing attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima who stood in for President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, amongst others who shared their views on the issue of state police.
In the same vein, the House put together a national discourse on Nigeria’s security challenges and good governance at the local government level as well as workshop for its security based committees on Non-kinetic strategies to combat insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria.
Speaking at the workshopthen, Speaker Abbas advocated the adoption of non-kinetic strategies such as diplomatic dialogue, economic empowerment, psychological interventions and community-based initiatives in tackling insecurity in the country.
Still on public engagements, the House under the leadership of Abbas held two editions of town hall meeting with youth – first ahead of the nationwide #Endbadgovernance protest and recently on the 2025 budget.
At both events, young Nigerians were given the opportunity to express their feelings on government policies and present their demands as well as calls for legislative interventions.
There was also the legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI) Day with the Speaker during the year under review. LMI is a youth leadership development programme founded by the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives (currently Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria), Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; designed to identify, train, and equip the next generation of public sector leaders, particularly the legislators, to embody the values of good character, commitment, and competence to build their capacity for excellence in public service.
Sequel to the controversy trailing the tax reform bills, the House organised an interactive session with critical stakeholders on the proposed legislations – Nigeria Tax; Nigeria Tax Administration; Nigeria Revenue Service and Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bills, 2024.
At the interactive session, Abbas said as representatives of the people, lawmakers must approach these reforms thoughtfully, understanding their potential implications for every segment of society.
“Let me be clear: the House has not yet taken a definitive position on these bills. Our role is to scrutinise them thoroughly, ensuring they align with the best interests of our constituents and the nation at large. We owe this duty to Nigerians,” he noted.
The House closed the year with a live interactive session on December 20 with Nigerians in which the speaker, the leadership and some key members of the House informed the public of he activities of the Green Chamber from January to December.
Also during the year under review, the House cut 50% of members’ salaries for six months in solidarity with Nigerians who have been experiencing economic challenges and food insecurity.
Speaker Abbas announced that the donation will be handed over to President Bola Tinubu on December 31, 2024.
The House had on July 18, adopted an amendment to a motion of urgent public importance, proposed by the Deputy Speaker of the House Hon. Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia) that lawmakers should contribute 50% of their monthly salary of N6O0,000 to assist Nigerians during these challenging times.
The speaker said: “If you recall, about five months ago, we decided to contribute half of our salaries to address the critical needs of the Nigerian people. I am happy to inform you that so far, we have contributed N704,907,578.82.
“On December 31, I will lead a delegation of leadership to hand over the money to the President for the exclusive use of the vulnerable Nigerians who really need it.
“The contributions you made highlight the steadfastness and dedication of members to addressing the critical needs of Nigerians.”
The House is also in process of constitution amendment with the Deputy Speaker Kalu-led Committee on the Review
of the Constitution conducting citizen and stakeholders engagement sessions after which a deadline of December, 2025 was set to end the work while zonal hearings are billed for January, 2025.
On the other hand, the House witnessed a gale of defections in 2024 which almost unsettled the opposition. The member representing Ukwa East/Ukwa West federal constituency of Abia state, Hon. Chris Nkwonta defected from PDP to APC just as the member representing Gumi/Bukkuyyum federal constituency of Zamfara State, Hon. Suleiman Abubakar Gumi who defected from PDP to All APC.
Also, Hon. Alfred Ajang who represents Jos South/Jos East federal constituency of Plateau and his fellow member representing Barkin ladi/Riyom federal constituency of Plateau state, Hon. Dalyop Chollom defected from LP to APC.
Furthermore, in one swoop, four members of the opposition party in the House – Erhriatake Ibori-Suenu (PDP, Delta), Tochukwu Okere (LP, Imo), Donatus Mathew (LP, Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (LP, Cross River), and Iyawe Esosa (LP,Edo) joined the ruling APC, citing internal crisis in their party and admiration for the APC-led Tinubu administration.
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