The Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman has highlighted the significant institutional growth and innovations recorded by the Institute over the past seven years, attributing the achievements to strategic leadership, committed staff, and a clear focus on its mandate.
Prof. Sulaiman stated this during an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), where he discussed NILDS’ contributions to legislative capacity development, democratic governance, research, advocacy, youth and women’s inclusion, as well as its relationship with the National Assembly.
The Director General noted that, under his leadership, NILDS has consolidated the gains of previous administrations while expanding its programmes and structures to meet the evolving needs of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
He highlighted the expansion of the Institute’s postgraduate programmes, including PhD programmes in collaboration with the University of Abuja and the Federal University Lokoja, as well as programmes in legislative drafting, leadership development and legislative mentorship.
Prof. Sulaiman also identified the establishment of Democracy Radio, the Centre for Advanced Executive Education Programmes, and the Gender and Inclusion Unit as some of the key initiatives introduced to broaden the Institute’s impact.
He explained that Democracy Radio was established to strengthen communication between government and citizens, while the Centre for Advanced Executive Education provides high-level leadership and professional development opportunities for public officials and other stakeholders.
The Director General further noted that NILDS has expanded its reach beyond Nigeria, providing training and capacity development for parliamentarians and democratic actors from several African countries, including Ghana, Liberia, Somalia, South Africa and Rwanda.
He attributed the Institute’s growth to effective leadership and the commitment of its workforce while acknowledging the support of the National Assembly, development partners, civil society organisations, and other institutional partners.
On women’s political participation, Prof. Sulaiman expressed concern over the decline in the number of women elected to the National Assembly following the 2023 general elections. He noted that NILDS subsequently convened stakeholders from Nigeria and other African countries to examine the factors responsible and identify evidence-based approaches to improving women’s representation.
He said the engagement informed the establishment of the Gender and Inclusion Unit under the Office of the Director General to strengthen research, advocacy, and engagement on women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
The Director General stressed that meaningful democracy requires broad participation in decision-making, particularly by women and young people, noting that NILDS would continue to support efforts aimed at strengthening their participation in governance.
On the relationship between NILDS and the National Assembly, Prof. Sulaiman described both institutions as inseparable, stressing that NILDS was established to serve as the intellectual, research, and capacity-building arm of the National Assembly.
He reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to providing research, technical support, and capacity development to legislators and parliamentary staff while contributing to democratic development at the national, sub-national, and regional levels.
Looking ahead to the conclusion of the 10th National Assembly and his tenure as Director General, Prof. Sulaiman expressed optimism that both the Assembly and NILDS would conclude the current phase of their mandates with notable achievements. He added that the Institute would continue to provide the technical and intellectual support required to strengthen legislative performance and democratic governance.
