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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called for a stronger diplomatic and inter-parliamentary relations between Nigeria and the European Union( EU).
Abbas made the call,on Tuesday, while playing host to a delegation of the Committee on Foreign Afairs (AFET) of the European Parliament, who paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly.
The speaker, who was represented by the deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu, commended the delegation for their work, saying that their efforts in strengthening trans-Atlantic and EU-Africa relations have not gone unnoticed.
Abbas, according to a statement by the Special Assistant to the deputy speaker,on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, noted that there was need for concrete action that reflects a true partnership of equals, in solving shared challenges and building a prosperous future.
He appealed to the delegation to facilitate legislative exchange programmes, where Nigerian and European parliamentarians can collaborate on thematic areas such as climate legislation, digital governance, trade policy, and democratic accountability.
According to him, “we should consider upgrading the Nigeria-EU Dialogue Mechanism to include a parliamentary track, complementing the ministerial-level engagements with annual parliamentary consultations.
“This ensures that legislatures, the true representatives of the people, are at the center of shaping and monitoring the partnership.Fourth, we should jointly convene thematic roundtables on critical issues such as the green transition, critical minerals governance and so on.
“These roundtables should involve not only parliamentarians but also technical staff, civil society, and the private sector, ensuring that legislative action is evidence-based and inclusive.”
