The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said that the National Assembly is the most underfunded arm of the Nigerian government.
He made the statement in Abuja on Wednesday at the launch of three legislative digital platforms developed by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Abbas, who was represented by Amadi Victor Obuzor, a member representing Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Federal Constituency, stated that contrary to public belief, the legislature suffers from inadequate funding.
“Many Nigerians erroneously believe that the National Assembly is overfunded. Sadly, the National Assembly is the most underfunded arm of the government.
“I am pleased that most of the development partners have carried out assessments and investigations on the funding of the National Assembly and concluded that the legislature is underfunded.
“These digital platforms will provide an opportunity to address the issues in the National Assembly and perhaps change people’s perceptions of the institution,” he said.
The platforms unveiled at the event include the PLAC Bills Track, the Legislative Agenda Tracker, and the Legislative Repository. They are designed to improve transparency and citizen engagement in legislative activities.
They offer features such as tracking the progress of bills, accessing the full text of legislation, and exploring infographics and analyses.
PLAC’s Deputy Executive Director, Omolara Akinyeye, explained that the tools would allow users to follow the status of bills moving through the legislative process.
Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, said the platform was part of efforts to improve oversight, accountability, and public engagement with lawmakers.
Nwankwo said, “I know that legislators, as individuals, face huge demands from constituents, the public, and all the stakeholders involved in our democracy, but it is also very important that they do not lose sight of the key aspect of their work, which involves carrying out oversight, ensuring accountability, and responding to the demands of representation that citizens make on them.
“These platforms are important and have been created to enable us to share information on the different aspects of what we are doing.”