Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has pledged to sponsor a bill seeking to transform the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) into a specialised university dedicated to legislative and democratic studies.
Jibrin made the announcement while representing Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the 10th postgraduate convocation of NILDS and the University of Benin (UNIBEN), held in Abuja.
He said the proposed institution would serve Nigeria and the wider West African sub-region, building on NILDS’s existing infrastructure, personnel, expertise and postgraduate programmes.
Proposed University to Focus on Legislative and Democratic Studies
According to Jibrin, a specialised university could strengthen Nigeria’s contribution to regional cooperation and provide advanced training in legislative practice, democratic governance and related disciplines.
He noted Nigeria’s role in regional institutions, including the ECOWAS Parliament and ECOWAS Commission, as part of the rationale for developing the proposal.
The Deputy Senate President expressed confidence that the bill could progress through the necessary legislative processes and receive presidential assent.
However, the proposed upgrade remains a legislative plan. NILDS has not become a university merely by virtue of the announcement; the required lawmaking process must still be completed.
Existing Partnership with UNIBEN to Continue
Jibrin also urged the University of Benin to sustain its collaboration with NILDS, explaining that the proposed transformation would not require the institutions to abandon their existing academic partnership.
He commended NILDS Director-General, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, and congratulated the institute and UNIBEN on their postgraduate collaboration.
He further encouraged graduands to apply their academic training to national development and the promotion of effective governance.
If enacted, the proposed legislation could reshape specialised postgraduate education and professional development in legislative and democratic studies. Its eventual impact will depend on the bill’s provisions, implementation arrangements, funding and institutional governance.
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