Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has called for deeper collaboration among the three institutions established to strengthen Nigeria’s arms of government, warning that without knowledge, skills, and capacity building, good governance will remain elusive.

Sulaiman made this call yesterday when the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) and former President of the National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja. 

The leadership of the legislative and judiciary institutes, on the occasion, set up a joint committee to come up with possible areas of collaboration for the effective delivery of their separate mandates.

He described the meeting between both institutions as a “landmark interaction” that should have happened long ago, given their shared mandates in developing capacity for the judiciary and the legislature.

According to him, the founding fathers of Nigeria recognised the need for specialised institutions to nurture the executive, legislature, and judiciary, leading to the creation of the Public Service Institute, NILDS, and NJI. 

He said the three must work more closely together if the country is to achieve effective governance.

“For development and good governance, the executive, judiciary, and legislature must work together. But these arms cannot stand on their own without knowledge, without skills, without capacity. That is why NILDS, NJI, and the Public Service Institute exist,” Sulaiman stressed.

He commended Justice Adejumo for initiating the visit, noting that no previous NJI administrator had made such a move. 

“When I received your correspondence, I granted approval immediately because this kind of engagement is long overdue,” he said.

Tracing the evolution of NILDS, Sulaiman explained that the institute was first established in 2011 as the National Institute for Legislative Studies, following the transformation of the Policy Analysis and Research Project (PARP) of the National Assembly. 

He said its original mandate was to strengthen the legislature, the most critical arm of democracy, which has historically suffered during Nigeria’s periods of military intervention.

“The legislature is the hallmark of democracy. Without it, there is no difference between military and civilian rule. Yet, unlike the executive and judiciary, the legislature has often been denied institutional continuity and capacity building due to repeated military incursions,” he observed.

He added that in 2018, the institute’s mandate was expanded through an amendment to its establishing Act, signed by then President Muhammadu Buhari, to cover not only lawmakers and legislative staff but also political parties, civil society organisations, journalists, and other democratic actors.

Today, NILDS, he said, has become West Africa’s leading think tank in legislative drafting, bill analysis, and policy research. It trains lawmakers, political aides, and civil society groups while also offering pro bono legislative drafting internships for young graduates. 

“We have produced drafters who now serve across Africa, and we remain the pillar that supports the quality of lawmaking and debates in Nigeria,” he added.

Sulaiman emphasised that synergy between NILDS and NJI is particularly important in areas like legislative drafting, legal research, and capacity building. 

He revealed that NILDS runs 12 specialised departments, including Legislative Support Services, which provides research and drafting expertise akin to the work done within the judiciary.

“It is a minus for us that we have operated for so long without meaningful interaction with NJI. This meeting marks a turning point and should be recorded as an achievement for both our institutions,” he said.

On the challenges of leading politically sensitive institutions, Sulaiman noted the delicate balance administrators must strike in managing their principals without compromising institutional integrity. 

Drawing parallels with Adejumo’s experience as head of the Industrial Court, he observed that both institutes operate under political pressure but must remain committed to professionalism and capacity building.

He also underscored the importance of training staff alongside political leaders to sustain institutional growth. “We cannot be training senators, representatives, or judicial officers without training our own staff. Their welfare and development are just as important,” he argued.

Looking ahead, the NILDS boss unveiled plans to make the institute a continental hub for parliamentary education, comparable to Harvard or Oxford. 

He said NILDS is already running an Advanced Executive Education Programme, coordinated by former INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega, in partnership with leading European universities.

“In terms of library, infrastructure, and faculty, we want to be the best in Africa. Our parliamentary library is already the finest on the continent, and we are building facilities that will attract lawmakers and democratic actors from across Africa,” he said.

Sulaiman further urged government to reduce overdependence on foreign training for legislators and judicial officers, arguing that with stronger partnerships between NILDS and NJI, Nigeria can develop its own capacity-building institutions into world-class centres of excellence.

He concluded that the interaction with NJI would open a new chapter in fostering synergy between the legislature and judiciary in capacity building, research, and training, ultimately strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

Adejumo had earlier told his host that he led his team to the foremost legislative institute in Africa to seek areas of collaboration that would enhance performances of judicial officers.

He said, “Judicial officers need constant trainings in order to tackle the daily challenges in the course of their duties.”

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