By EricJames Ochigbo

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament and Commission to embrace evidence-based research.

The institute said the commission should embrace such, as a foundation for policymaking and legislation, to effectively address the sub-region’s multi-faceted challenges.

NILDS Director-General, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, made the call at the closing ceremony of a two-week workshop for some members of staff of ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.

The workshop was titled, “Enhancing Evidence-Based Parliamentary Practice and Procedure Through Sound Research Techniques, Diplomacy, Stakeholder Engagement and Modern Data-Driven Decision Making”.

“There is urgent need for West African leaders to bridge the gap between research and policymaking.

“This is to enable implementation of sustainable solutions to the region’s persistent crises which include insecurity, political instability, climate change and economic hardship.

“It is high time the research department of the commission was rejuvenated to meet current demands of the sub-region,” he said.

Sulaiman said that the break-out of three countries from ECOWAS as a result of military coup, showed that the commission was still far from its establishment’s mandate.

“The essence of this training is to emphasise the critical role of research in driving effective policy and legislative actions.

“Before ECOWAS leaders take any major decisions, be it in policy, law, or resolution, such decisions must be anchored on sound, evidence-based research.

“Research output is critical to navigating the challenges facing Africa today; from climate to economy to security, the sustainability of our solutions lies in research-driven legislation.

“The training session marks a significant step toward integrating academic insight into regional governance processes and is seen as a foundation for building a more stable, informed and proactive West African legislative system,” he said.

Sulaiman, who is a former Minister of National Planning, said that African needs and challenges could be solved by Africa without relying on western countries.

He said, “What God has given us in terms of human and natural resources are not being well utilised; we underplay everything we have.”

He said that Africa, faced with several challenges, does not need to spend resources on capacity building abroad, saying a lot of revenue could be saved if local institutions are patronised.

The D-G urged the commission and its parliament to take advantage of NILDS, saying that the institute had all it took to deliver empirical research for the region and the entire continent.

Sulaiman announced that the institute would inaugurate a special programme known as ‘Advance Educational Executive Programme’ targeted toward top expertise across all sectors in the country.

Earlier, the Strategic Planning Officer of ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Dalhatu Zaidu, lauded the institute for the workshop.

Zaidu said that he had attended a lot of workshops and training in popular institutions in Europe and America, but none was more practical and rich like the package delivered by NILDS.

He appreciated the take-home message for the ECOWAS Parliament, saying that it would improve the operations for better regional service delivery.

The officer said, therefore, there would be increase in targeted engagement and cooperation with relevant national, regional and global stakeholders.

According to him, these will be done through regular consultations, ensuring adequate information sharing and stakeholder feedback mechanisms.

“There is need to enhance parliamentary diplomatic engagements as well as forge new pathways with key actors within and outside the ECOWAS structures to facilitate the fulfilment of its mandate.

“Also, the need to deliberately utilise parliament’s existing research capacities for data collection and analysis to inform evidenced-based parliamentary decision-making both at the technical and political levels of the ECOWAS Parliament.

“Then, ensure the use of modern-data analysis applications and artificial intelligence tools to aid the functions and decision-making processes of ECOWAS Parliamentarians, as they collectively strive for regional integration and shared development initiatives,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Esenvosa Izah/ Francis Onyeukwu