By Halima Adisa
As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general election, stakeholders have called for legislative reforms that prioritise citizens’ welfare and measures lawmakers’ performance by the impact of their laws.
They made the call at the Creative Leadership and Legislative Summit in Abuja, organised by the Centre for Leadership and Creative Entrepreneurs in Africa Ltd/GTE (CELCE-AFRICA), in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
Delivering the keynote address the Director-General NILDS, Professor Abubakar Suleiman, represented by the director democracy and governance in the institute, Dr Christopher Ngara said the quality of democracy depended not only on elections but also on how effective public institutions improved people’s lives.
He urged lawmakers to use research, evidence and reliable data to develop policies that addressed citizens’ needs, while ensuring that public participation in governance extends beyond voting during elections.
Prof Sulaiman also identified artificial intelligence, climate change, cybersecurity, food security and changing employment patterns as emerging issues requiring forward-looking legislation.
He called for the inclusion of young people, women, persons with disabilities, entrepreneurs and researchers in national policy discussions.
Earlier, the Executive Director and CEO CELCE-AFRICA, Amb. Kingsley Nwanze, also emphasised that legislative performance should be assessed by the effects of laws on citizens rather than the number of bills passed.
Contributing, the CEO of A S Global Limited, Dr. Abdurrahaman Mangari, identified poor infrastructure, limited access to finance and unreliable electricity as major challenges facing entrepreneurs.
The summit, themed “Beyond 2027: Legislative Intelligence, People-Focused Policy and National Prosperity,” was attended by students from Government Secondary School, Lugbe; Government Secondary School, Pyakasa; and Government Secondary School, Alayita as well as key stakeholders.
Edited by Julian Osamoto
