By Nefishetu Yakubu
A former senator, Shehu Sani, has commended the Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, for transforming the institute into a nationally-recognised centre for legislative research and democratic development.
Speaking during the commemoration of Sulaiman’s seventh anniversary in office on Thursday in Abuja, Sani, a pro-democracy activist, said the institute had expanded its relevance beyond lawmakers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sani’s keynote presentation was entitled: “Strengthening the legislature through capacity building: A decadal assessment of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies”.
According to the former senator, Sulaiman has transformed the institute, made it result-oriented and strengthened parliament through research, innovation, partnerships and intellectual leadership.
He urged aspiring politicians to utilise NILDS’ research resources, documents and mentorship, describing the institute as the engine room of the Nigerian parliament for democratic governance.
Sani urged youths to actively participate in politics instead of relying on social media, saying: “You cannot take political power from the comment section.”
He noted that political parties in Nigeria lacked ideological differences, arguing that both ruling and opposition parties largely pursued similar philosophies in spite of their persistent political rivalry.
The former lawmaker urged Nigerians to appreciate the country’s contributions to democracy, peace-keeping and African liberation, saying that many citizens underestimated Nigeria’s historical global significance and sacrifices.
“Nigeria has sacrificed immensely for democracy, freedom and African liberation. We should know our history and reject narratives that diminish our country’s contributions,” he stated
Sani maintained that Nigeria possessed abundant human and natural resources, insisting that visionary leadership and national sacrifice remained essential for sustainable development and progress.
He urged Sulaiman to sustain NILDS’ youth engagement initiatives, saying that the institute should become a factory where ‘future leaders are prepared to transform Nigeria responsibly’.
NAN reports that a book chronicling the history, achievements and transformation of NILDS in the past seven years, was also unveiled at the occasion.
The book reviewer, Dr Adeyemi Fajingbesi, described the institute as a testament to Nigeria’s democratic resilience, documenting the institute’s evolution, legislative support, capacity building and policy research.
According to him, the book preserves institutional memory, serving as a valuable resource for scholars, legislators, policymakers and students, while promoting democratic governance and development.
Fajingbesi, a consultant to the institute, traced NILDS’ journey from the 2003 Policy Analysis and Research Project to Africa’s premier legislative institution,.
He said that the institute had strengthened democracy through research, training, partnerships and innovation.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
NY/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq