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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Speaker of South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, has issued a strong call to African parliaments to prioritise the empowerment of legislative aides, insisting that no democracy on the continent can thrive without a well-equipped parliamentary support system.
Kumba delivered the charge on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the maiden African Legislative Aides Conference (ALAC 2025), where she described legislative aides as “the quiet custodians of democracy” whose research, documentation, analysis and administrative coordination form the backbone of legislative work.
“Parliament is only as strong as its support system,” she said, stressing that clerks, researchers, analysts, administrators and technical staff must be regarded as core actors in lawmaking and oversight rather than mere assistants.
The three-day conference, which attracted delegates from several African parliaments, is the first continental platform dedicated to legislative aides and is focused on capacity building, standardisation of roles and strengthening inter-parliamentary collaboration.
Kumba underscored that even the strongest Speakers, Presidents of Parliament or committed lawmakers cannot function effectively without a skilled support structure that provides research depth, committee coordination, procedural guidance and institutional continuity.
She warned that the effectiveness of any parliament is ultimately tied to the quality of its aides.
“When political cycles shift, aides remain,” she noted. “They preserve records, guide lawmakers and uphold procedure. They are the unseen weight-bearers of democracy.”
The South Sudanese Speaker argued that Africa’s democratic stability, particularly in an era marked by military disruptions in some countries, rests heavily on professionalised legislative work built on research, technology and administrative expertise.
A major highlight of her keynote address was a call for immediate investment in digital tools for legislative aides. She said African parliaments must embrace digital archiving, AI-supported research, cloud-based committee systems and online transparency tools if they hope to meet global standards.
“Without digital empowerment, we cannot empower aides — and without empowering aides, we cannot strengthen democracy,” she declared.
Earlier, Chairman of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, High Chief Emeka Nwala, welcomed delegates and said the gathering was conceived to deepen professionalism, standardise legislative support functions and consolidate democratic institutions across Africa.
He maintained that investing in aides is not optional: “Legislative aides are the powerhouse that drives parliament,” he said.
The Abuja conference also witnessed the formal inauguration of the African Legislative Aides Association, with Emeka Nwala emerging as its first continental chairman.
