NILDS DG decries huge spending on fresh foreign training for 23 lawmakers

From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, has expressed disapproval over plans to send 23 Senators and Members of the House of Representatives abroad for another training programme in two weeks.

Speaking at a workshop for ECOWAS Parliament staff in Abuja on Thursday, Sulaiman disclosed that the trip would cost the government a “hefty” but undisclosed sum, questioning the value of such expensive foreign engagements.

“You can’t imagine how much it’s going to cost this government to do that. I cannot even disclose it,” he said.

While acknowledging the prestige of international institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge, the NILDS DG insisted that many of the foreign training programmes lack local content and are of little relevance to the challenges facing African legislatures.

“All what they taught us there lacked local content. It is of no relevance. We have the resource persons, we have the resources, we have what it takes here,” he maintained.

Sulaiman’s comments come amid calls across Africa for stronger regional institutions and investment in indigenous capacity-building. NILDS, which is affiliated to the National Assembly, has training partnerships with African countries including Malawi, Somalia, Namibia, and Uganda.

He noted that a three-year Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed with a foreign country for continuous training, underscoring the institute’s growing continental relevance. “This is the headquarters of the Conference of African Speakers… Our edifice, in terms of facilities, you cannot see it anywhere in Africa,” he declared.

To rival the appeal of Western training centres, Sulaiman said NILDS will in October launch an Advanced Executive Education Programme in Abuja, combining local expertise with international partnerships, including with Harvard and Cambridge.

“If what is inspiring people to go to Harvard is the forex, the dollar, okay, we can charge in dollars too. If it’s the white faces, then we’ll collaborate with them. But the training must take place here in Abuja,” he said.

The DG stressed that the programme would target not only Nigerian lawmakers but also top executives and parliamentarians from across Africa, blending African realities with global best practices.

Despite NILDS’s track record, Sulaiman lamented inadequate funding and noted that while the National Assembly enjoys some independence, state legislatures remain heavily dependent on the executive. “At the sub-national level, you cannot demarcate between the executive and the legislature. We needed to do more for state assemblies,” he said.

He also criticised the notion that legislative diplomacy is solely the preserve of the executive, saying parliaments should play a central role in regional and international affairs.

“The key to democracy and good governance in any country is the legislature. And if the parliament is taken seriously at the national level, it must be taken seriously at the multilateral level too,” he argued.

The ECOWAS workshop, which focused on parliamentary oversight, votes, and proceedings, drew praise from participants.