Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday proposed that the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) should become the permanent venue for the induction of newly elected members of the National Assembly beginning from the 2027.
Akpabio made the proposal while presiding over a meeting of the Governing Board of NILDS at the institute’s headquarters in Abuja, where he also commended the management of the organisation for what he described as its impressive performance in fulfilling the mandate for which it was established.
The Senate President, who chairs the NILDS governing board, particularly praised the Director General of the institute, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, and his management team for deepening legislative capacity-building and sustaining academic programmes designed to strengthen democratic governance.
He noted that the institute had continued to justify its existence through the training and retraining of legislators and parliamentary staff, as well as the provision of advanced academic programmes.
According to him, the original objective behind the establishment of NILDS was gradually being realised.
“The essence of creating this institute is being realised,” Akpabio said, pointing to the postgraduate and doctoral programmes being run by the institute in collaboration with Nigerian universities.
The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who serves as Alternate Chairman of the Governing Board, alongside other members.
Akpabio expressed satisfaction that NILDS had commenced structured training programmes for National Assembly staff and urged the board to consider entrusting the institute with the responsibility of conducting induction courses for incoming federal lawmakers after the 2027 elections.
Recalling the orientation programme organised for lawmakers elected in 2023, the Senate President said NILDS now possesses facilities befitting such a national assignment.
“When we came in 2023, the induction course that we had was at the NAF Centre. I’m sure for new Senators-elect and Members-elect, this place is befitting enough for us to use for the induction course for the incoming parliament.
“I will urge members of the council to consider a resolution in that regard. That once election is over in 2027, the induction should be held here. That will also draw attention to this place. It will further boost the image of the institute,” he said.
Beyond its academic and training functions, Akpabio also lauded the management for maintaining the institute’s infrastructure and ensuring that its facilities remained in excellent condition.
He said he was impressed by the upkeep of the institute’s headquarters, describing the task as a significant achievement.
Earlier, the Director General of NILDS, Suleiman, briefed the board on the institute’s activities and achievements, highlighting its expanding footprint in legislative research, training and democratic studies.
He reiterated that the institute was established primarily to strengthen the capacity of legislators at both federal and state levels, while also extending support to parliamentary institutions across the sub-region.
Suleiman disclosed that NILDS currently operates 12 departments, including a radio station, and has continued to broaden its academic and professional offerings through partnerships with several higher institutions.
According to him, the institute maintains collaborative programmes with the University of Benin, the University of Abuja and the Federal University Lokoja, among others.
He said these partnerships have enabled NILDS to provide specialised academic programmes tailored to the needs of legislators, parliamentary staff and democracy practitioners, thereby enhancing the quality of governance and legislative oversight in the country.