UPDATE: NILDS, ECOWAS, others forge partnership for legislative capacity building

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has revealed plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two prominent regional bodies – the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

The MoU will facilitate collaborative efforts to provide comprehensive capacity building for the staff of both ECOWAS and EALA on legislative matters.

The announcement was made during a courtesy visit by the speakers of EALA, Honourable Joseph Ntakirutimana, and his ECOWAS counterpart, Honourable Sidie Mohammed Tunis, to the esteemed Director General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, on Thursday.

Honourable Tunis emphasized the critical nature of this partnership, affirming that the training initiative would greatly bolster the capacities of ECOWAS member states and contribute to the overall progress of Africa. He underlined the importance of regional bodies taking the lead in addressing the needs and aspirations of their respective nations, rather than relying solely on the African Union’s centralized approach in Addis Ababa.

Honourable Ntakirutimana expressed his satisfaction with the establishment of NILDS, drawing parallels between it and the American Democratic Institute (NDI) in terms of ideas and intellectual resources. He stressed the significance of ensuring NILDS’s autonomy from external influences, urging robust financial support from the Nigerian government to enable the institute to effectively serve Nigeria and the entire African continent.

During the meeting, the esteemed Director General, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, reaffirmed NILDS’s dedication to the advancement of Africa in all aspects. He recounted the Institute’s journey, starting with initial support from the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) when it was still under the National Assembly’s purview, followed by full funding from the Nigerian government.

Prof Sulaiman conveyed his unwavering commitment to signing the MoU with ECOWAS Parliament and EALA, demonstrating NILDS’s readiness to collaborate on legislative staff capacity building.

Among those present at the event were NILDS lead consultant, Prof Attahiru Jega, Chairman of NILDS Academic Advisory Board, Prof Nuhu Yaqub, Secretary General of ECOWAS, Dr. John Azumah, delegation to ECOWAS Parliament, Hon Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and a member of Tanzania House of Representatives, Hon. Dr. Mlozi Shogo.

The anticipated partnership between NILDS, ECOWAS Parliament, and EALA holds great promise for fostering strong legislative foundations across West and East Africa, propelling the region towards a more prosperous and self-determined future.