The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on Monday, unveiled a policy document on training, retraining, and capacity enhancement of lawmakers and support staff for maximum performance.
Titled, “Parliamentary Development Programme for 10th House of Representatives, National Assembly, 2023-2027,” the document was prepared by the Office of the Speaker in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.
The event presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu who represented Speaker Abbas, was attended by many local and international partners of the parliament.
Abbas, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency, said the document contained the results of the assessment study conducted by the House with the support of the UNDP and other partners.
“The results are presented today (Monday) in a document titled Parliamentary Development Programme. This is in line with our Legislative Agenda, which identifies the strengthening of the internal capacity of the legislature as a critical factor toward achieving all our other legislative objectives.
“As a result, the document before us today reflects our current capabilities and the urgent requirements needed to elevate the standards of our legislative functions,” Abbas, who was represented by his Deputy, Benjamin Kalu, said.
Highlighting the need for continuous capacity building of members, the Speaker said, “In this 10th Assembly, over 80 per cent of the members are new to the legislature. This phenomenon, combined with the growing expectations of our citizens for transparency, accountability, and efficiency, underscores the urgent need for a robust framework for capacity building within the legislature.
As evidenced by the level of engagement, especially on social media, our constituents are becoming increasingly aware and involved in the governance process, demanding greater accountability and better service delivery from their representatives.
“This heightened expectation requires us to be at the forefront of legislative knowledge and practices. Also, the intricate landscape of modern governance demands a higher level of expertise, analytical skills, and adaptability among our members and supporting staff.”
Speaker Abbas added 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 needs to strengthen its capabilities to meet the demands of contemporary governance.
These include but are not limited to strengthening our law-making functions, enhancing our legislative drafting capabilities, improving our research and analysis functions, bolstering our oversight mechanisms, and advancing our engagement with the citizens we serve.
“In view of these challenges, we must embrace a culture of continuous learning and capacity development. We must invest in human capital development, ensuring that members, staff and legislative aides are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of modern legislative work.
“This involves not only formal training programmes but also fostering an environment that encourages innovation, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of the issues facing Nigeria.”
Chairman, House Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of the Implementation of the Legislative Agenda, Patrick Umoh, noted that at the inauguration of the 10th House, Abbas pledged to ensure full and unhindered access to capacity-building programmes for lawmakers
Hon Umoh, who spoke through the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, noted that the Speaker met with partners and shared his vision in this regard with them.
He said: “Following the interaction with partners, the UNDP took the lead in commissioning 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.”
In his remark, the Chairman, House Committee on Civil Societies and Development Partners, Victor Obuzor, thanked the Speaker for the initiative, saying “This is really assisting (us in) our work.”
On his part, the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, described the development as “An inter-parliamentary wedding between the House of Representatives and the development partners through the PCU. It is an effort kick-started since the inauguration of the 10th NASS by the Speaker with the collaboration of the leadership.”
At the event were representatives of the UNDP, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, YIAGA Africa, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Order Paper, BudgIT, Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, the European Union and the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable among others.
