Nigeria, Benin Republic Institutes Strengthen Ties For Legislative, Democratic Advancement

Nigeria’s National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and Parliamentary Institute, Republic of Benin (IPaB), have reiterated their commitment to exchanging experience and inter-parliamentary engagements towards democratic and
legislative advancement in the sub-region.

The two institutes made their positions known at the opening ceremony of a 5-day capacity-building workshop they jointly organised for IPaB parliamentary staff, held at NILDS headquarters in Abuja on Monday.

The workshop was themed: “Legislative Process and Procedure, Policy Analysis, Innovative Management Skills and Strategic Administrative Techniques for Sustainable Development.”

In his opening address, the Director General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said the workshop underscored the institute’s
commitment to promoting effective governance, legislative excellence, and sustainable development across the African sub-region.

He explained that the workshop was a result of a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by both organisations, bordering on exchange of experience and inter-parliamentary engagements, towards democratic and legislative advancement in their sub-region.

Sulaiman said in analysing the contemporary realities of the modern world, one cannot ignore the persistent debates around the relationship between governance and public policy.

“The central question remains: how are the common goods of society obtained and distributed for the collective well-being of citizens?

“The answer to this question rests fundamentally on the effectiveness of policy instruments, the competence of policy makers, and the efficiency of those tasked with
implementation.

“It is, therefore, safe to assert that the outcomes of governance are a direct reflection of the quality and capacity of those who make and implement policies, and the institutional systems that guide them. Good governance cannot thrive without sound policy formulation, robust legislative frameworks, and efficient administrative structures.

“This training programme has been thoughtfully designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of legislative processes and procedures, deepen their grasp of policy formulation and analysis, and enhance their strategic management and leadership skills.

“Over the next five days, you will engage with modules that address not only the theoretical foundations of legislative governance, but also practical tools such as innovative management techniques, leadership dynamics, oversight mechanisms, and the application of Artificial Intelligence in parliamentary processes, which is a subject of increasing importance in today’s digital governance ecosystem.”

“At NILDS, we believe that capacity building is not an event but a continuous process of renewal and reflection. Through our long years of engagement with legislative institutions, evidence-based policy research, and partnerships with regional and international parliaments, we have seen firsthand how targeted learning interventions such as this can transform institutional performance and
governance outcomes,” he added.

For his part, the IPaB Director, Dr Fatahau Djima, said the collaboration of both institutes has enhanced the exchange of ideas for the good governance of the two countries.

“This collaboration is crucial for both countries. This innovation is good for both parties to develop our parliaments better. So, we’re grateful to be here and we assure you that we are going to dedicate ourselves to learning from both parties, especially the Assembly of Benin Republic.

“This is going to be beneficial and we are sure that this is going to help the Parliament and people of Benin Republic. So, I’m grateful and sincerely thankful for this opportunity you have provided for other parliaments in Africa as your brothers and sisters.

“I want to use this opportunity to express my intention to invite you to Benin Republic for our event that is going to hold there. So, I want to once again thank everybody for this opportunity and mostly the Director General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman for this opportunity and all the staff of this noble institution for the organisation of this event.

“I want to say that the Parliament of Benin Republic will greatly benefit from this event and this is also going to help the African parliaments and the parliament in the whole to come together and create great things,” Djima added.