Something happened at the House of Representatives on Monday, February 19, 2024, and it was significant. On that eventful day, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, unveiled the ‘Parliamentary Development Programme for 10th House of Representatives, National Assembly, 2023-2027’, a policy document on (re)training and capacity building for members of the 10th House, legislative aides, support staff, parliamentary reporters, among others, for better performance and output.
The document was prepared by the Office of the Speaker in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. The Programmes Coordinating Unit (PCU) in the Research and Policy Division of the Office of the Speaker spearheaded the programme. The Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu unveiled the document on behalf of the Speaker at an event attended by several local and international development and technical partners of the National Assembly. Partners represented at the event included UNDP, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), YIAGA Africa, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Order Paper, BudgIT, Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL), and the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER), among others.
Now, here is the paradigm shift. Before now, donors and technical partners would randomly determine which group or department of the National Assembly to sponsor or train via workshops and seminars, without determining which of them needed such support the most. This development had led to duplication of projects and programmes by the development partners, leading to wastage on the part of the partners. These partners were at the mercy of lobbyists in the system with strong influence and networks. Eventually, the supports provided were not guided by the priority needs of the beneficiaries. Some would get more-than-needed support while others would continue to grapple with little or no resources.
It is important to note that the National Assembly is a big community made up of not just the 469 lawmakers that constitute the Senate (109) and House of Reps (360), but also about 6000 workers, including legislative aides, civil servants, journalists and security personnel, among others. Accredited journalists alone, who have benefitted from training and re-trainings organised by the National Assembly and its partners are in the hundreds. These civil servants are spread across the arms and statutory bodies under the National Assembly, including the National Assembly Management (the bureaucracy), National Assembly Service Commission, Public Complaints Commission, National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER), National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO), among others.
As part of his reforms as Speaker of the House, Speaker Abbas has repeatedly reiterated the need for the Legislative Agenda of the 10th House, which was put together and unveiled in a record time, must be implemented to the letter. This was why the Speaker not only created a standing committee of the House known as the Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of the Implementation of the Legislative Agenda but also went further to establish the PCU in his office. The unit technically guides the donors and sponsors on the best way to channel their resources based on the needs of the House. Therefore, facilities from technical and development partners must tally with the projections in the Legislative Agenda for judicious use of the limited available resources, and to achieve maximum impact.
Of course, the Speaker wrote the preface of the document, in which he highlighted the significance of capacity development for the legislature and the officials therein. He noted that the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, occupies a central position in Nigeria’s governance and development, going by provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). “This comprehensive capacity-building effort encompasses various aspects such as legislative procedures, political analysis, budget oversight, constituent engagement, and leadership skills. The ultimate goal is to empower the House, and indeed the National Assembly, to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities and contribute to good governance, accountability, and sustainable development in Nigeria,” Speaker Abbas said.
The Speaker went on to state that the programme was essential for several reasons: first, to address the need for continuous professional development among legislators and parliamentary staff, ensuring that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to navigate complex legislative processes and engage in evidence-based legislation. He also said it would enhance the capacity of the House for effective oversight of the executive arm of the government as regards public expenditure. This, he also stated, would strengthen democratic governance and transparency by ensuring that the government is held accountable to the people through their elected representatives. Additionally, Speaker Abbas pointed out that capacity development fosters a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and responsiveness within the legislature, thereby promoting effective representation and responsiveness to citizens’ needs.
In this regard, the Speaker explained that the programme encompasses a wide range of activities tailored to the specific needs of members, aides and parliamentary staff. These activities, he said, would include training workshops, seminars, mentoring programmes, research support, technical assistance, and exchange visits with other national legislatures or international parliamentary organisations. “Furthermore, the programme would also include initiatives to improve the administrative and operational capabilities of the House and the National Assembly as an institution, including strengthening committee structures, information management systems, and communication strategies,” he added.
Speaker Abbas, in his address at the unveiling of the document, told the gathering that the UNDP’s Capacity and Institutional Needs Assessment Study had “laid bare the gaps in our current system,” stressing that it had highlighted areas where the House needed to strengthen its capabilities to meet the demands of contemporary governance.
Chairman of the House Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of the Implementation of the Legislative Agenda, Hon. Patrick Umoh, recalled how Speaker Abbas, upon assumption of office, pledged to ensure full and unhindered access to capacity-building programmes in the 10th House. Hon Umoh, who spoke through the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi, said: “Following the interaction with partners, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), took the lead in commissioning a research and study to put together a capacity-building development programme for the 10th House. After three months of engagement with some committees of the House, development partners, members and management of the bureaucracy, we now have a document to provide direction for capacity building in the House. This is what the Honourable Speaker and the leadership of the House is here to present to us this afternoon.”
An elated Chairman of the House Committee on Civil Societies and Development Partners, Hon. Victor Obuzor, thanked the Speaker for the initiative, saying, “This is really assisting (us in) our work.”
One of the key stakeholders at the ceremony was the Clerk to the House, Dr Yahaya Danzaria, who described the development as “an inter-parliamentary wedding between the House of Reps and the development partners through the PCU,” also noted that it was “an effort kick-started since the inauguration of the 10th NASS by the Rt. Hon. Speaker with the collaboration of the leadership.”
Several technical and development partners at the event lauded the Speaker, and the House by extension, for the initiative. They were unanimous on the fact that non-governmental and not-for-profit organisations should not be “dumping” projects and programmes on the National Assembly; rather, their intervention should be tailored towards specific needs as highlighted in a legislative agenda. Those who spoke include the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani; Executive Director of OrderPaper Nigeria, Oke Epia; Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr Sam Amadi; and Marija Peran of KAS Nigeria.
This is yet another milestone in the speakership journey of Dr Abbas Tajudeen, a man who has broken several performance records in the House, and the National Assembly as a whole. Nigerians should watch out for more as the ambitious pro-people Legislative Agenda is implemented with the utmost priority and diligence that it deserves.
– Baiyewu is the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
