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By Ahmed Musa Baba
Theexistence of a legislature is what qualifies a given political system as a democracy, as it aggregates and advances the yearnings and aspirations of the people whose representatives populate the institution. Therefore, in the annals of Nigeria’s parliamentary evolution, the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, has become a cornerstone of legislative progress and achievements, embodying effective representation of the people of Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State. His tenure, particularly as Speaker of the House, has marked him as a prolific legislator whose work has reshaped national policy, engendered unity, and uplifted his region.
The uniqueness of a leader is often accentuated by his ability to succeed where others before him failed. Being the most sensitive and youthful arm of the Legislature, in terms of dynamics of temperaments, opinions, and interests, keeping the House stable and united in purpose has been one of the most noticeable gains of the Abbas Tajudeen leadership. The Zaria-born prince has managed to achieve stability and unity of purpose largely due to his upbringing and professional calling as a teacher.
His approach has relied on consultation, dialogue, transparency, and consensus building, rooted in humility, integrity, and patriotism. The Speaker has managed to win the trust and confidence of his colleagues on critical matters of national importance. One of such instances was the highly contentious Tax Reform Bills, now Acts of the National Assembly.
While many Nigerians were expressing outrage based on speculations and conspiracy theories about hidden regional agenda, the Speaker quietly embarked on a series of consultations with state governors, traditional and religious leaders across the country on the perceived areas of disagreements and how they could be worked on so that the baby wasn’t thrown out with the bathwater.
Obtaining the acceptance and support of these critical stakeholders was one major factor in the successful enactment of the new tax laws in Nigeria. The Speaker’s ability to build such a national consensus on a highly sensitive subject further redefined the concept of representative governance that also cemented his colleagues’ admiration and belief in his leadership.
Back at his Zaria Federal Constituency, the Speaker has redefined representation. One of the areas that have seen priority attention from the Speaker is education. Being a teacher and an educationist himself, Speaker Abbas has channeled his energy towards delivering tangible benefits in physical infrastructure to enhance the quality of education in his constituency. In December 2024, Speaker Abbas performed the foundation-laying ceremony of major federal institutions at what is now known as the Zaria Education City, housing a campus of the National Open University of Nigeria, a new Federal College of Education, and a Federal College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Beyond the Zaria Education City, the Speaker also launched other projects, including a brand new women’s development centre, a sports academy, and new hostels at the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST). These efforts are a part of a larger plan by Speaker Abbas to advance the educational and technical skills development of people within Zaria, Kaduna State, the North-West, and Nigeria as a whole.
The Speaker has also influenced the establishment of additional federal institutions in Zaria, reinforcing the city’s reputation as the hub for higher learning in the country. The new institutions listed are the Federal College of Agriculture, the Federal Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Institute, the Federal Technical College, the Centre for Management Studies, the Technology Incubation Centre, and the School for the Disabled (primary and secondary).
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The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, and the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) also benefited from major capital projects attracted by the Speaker. The upgrade of the Federal College of Education (FCE Zaria) to the Federal University of Education was also facilitated by the Speaker via an establishment bill, which he sponsored and was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2024.
Beyond physical infrastructure, Speaker Abbas also took steps toward incentivizing the youth, not just within the constituency but the entire North-West toward education by instituting a landmark N5 billion scholarship scheme for 30,000 students of tertiary institutions. The initiative directly enhanced the ability of these youth to focus more on learning without the encumbrance of struggling to raise tuition fees and achieve upkeep on campuses.
At the level of primary and secondary education, the Speaker has rehabilitated over 117 primary schools and many secondary schools as well as constructed new ones. Still on incentives, he has done a lot for primary and secondary school teachers in Zaria, as they form part of the beneficiaries of over 1000 motorcycles distributed, beside the periodic distribution of palliatives in the form of food items by the Speaker.
It can therefore be asserted that there is no individual, dead or alive, who has done more for the educational advancement of the people of Zaria within a short timeframe than Speaker Abbas.
For road infrastructure, the Speaker has attracted the construction and completion of more than 38 important arterial roads and bridges, connecting various sections and villages in the constituency to the Zaria metropolis. The same goes for the provision of power equipment for both urban and rural electrification that has delivered reliable electricity to towns and villages within the constituency.
His yearly economic empowerment goes beyond the usual distribution of items for commercial operations. It also focuses on skills acquisition for constituents, where a total of 2,400 beneficiaries have received direct financial support to strengthen their businesses and aid their families. Out of these, 800 beneficiaries received N250,000 each, while 1,600 small business owners received N100,000 each.
In agriculture, the Speaker also facilitated various training programmes for both old and young farmers in Zaria, exposing them to modern farming methods that enhance higher outputs. Trainees at the end of the exercises got tractors, improved seedlings, and fertilizers, in addition to irrigation equipment for dry-season cultivations.
In the area of health, the Speaker has ensured that adequate measures are put in place to improve the state of public health facilities for effective service delivery to the people. Just on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, the Speaker commissioned a 100-bed capacity specialist hospital in Zaria, named the Renewed Hope Specialist Hospital. The facility, attracted by the Speaker under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the federal government, was handed over to the authorities at the ABU Teaching Hospital to manage.
Nationally, his interventions have attracted federal government-funded infrastructure to tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones, just as he has, for the first time in the history of the House, extended his speakership goodwill to traditional institutions across the country. Beyond facilitating the building of more than 10 palaces for traditional rulers under the Zazzau Emirate, Speaker Abbas has also distributed over a 100 brand-new SUVs to all traditional leaders in Kaduna State and across the six geopolitical zones in the country, affirming his role as a highly detribalized and unifying bridge builder.
