Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Clement Nwankwo, have called for greater transparency, stronger legislative oversight and increased public participation as the 2026 National Assembly Open Week got underway in Abuja.
The three day event, themed Three Years of the 10th National Assembly: Advancing Transparency, Inclusion and Reform, brought together lawmakers, civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders to assess the performance of the current National Assembly while encouraging closer engagement between parliament and Nigerians.
Representing President Bola Tinubu at the opening ceremony, Gbajabiamila said the annual event should serve as more than a symbolic exercise. According to him, it should provide a meaningful platform for accountability, dialogue and stronger collaboration between the legislature and the public.
He explained that transparency helps build public trust in government, while inclusion ensures that the interests and voices of Nigerians are reflected in national decision making. He added that citizens should have the opportunity to understand how laws are made, how public funds are allocated and how legislative oversight protects the nation’s interests.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives also commended the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for sustaining reforms and promoting initiatives that encourage public engagement with the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila stressed that although the Executive and Legislative arms of government operate independently, they share a common responsibility to improve the lives of Nigerians. He noted that healthy cooperation between both institutions strengthens democracy without compromising the independence of either arm of government.
He further urged lawmakers to evaluate their performance not only by the number of bills they pass but by the impact of those laws through effective implementation, stronger oversight, improved budget monitoring and increased public confidence in government.
Also speaking at the event, Clement Nwankwo acknowledged the progress made by the 10th National Assembly in areas such as constitutional review, legislative reforms, electoral matters, digital innovation and citizen engagement. However, he maintained that Nigerians expect the legislature to be more assertive in holding the executive accountable and improving transparency within its own operations.
According to Nwankwo, the strength of any legislature lies in its willingness to carry out its constitutional duty of scrutinising executive actions, safeguarding public resources and ensuring accountability to the people.
He encouraged lawmakers to complete the ongoing constitutional amendment process before the end of their tenure, including the passage of the Special Seats Bill for Women. He also called for stronger electoral reforms, broader inclusion of women and underrepresented groups and greater reliance on evidence based oversight.
Nwankwo reaffirmed the commitment of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre to supporting legislative reforms through research, policy analysis, technical assistance, legislative drafting and digital solutions designed to improve public access to parliamentary information. He added that a stronger legislature remains essential for a stronger democracy.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library, Henry Nwawuba, announced the launch of the National Assembly Library Mobile App, a digital platform created to improve public access to legislative information.
He explained that the application will allow users to monitor the progress of bills in real time, access thousands of digital publications, search the library catalogue remotely, register before visiting the library, connect with their representatives and receive regular updates on parliamentary activities.
Nwawuba also highlighted several achievements recorded by the National Assembly Library since its establishment two years ago. These include the digitisation of more than 8,500 legislative materials, preservation of thousands of parliamentary records, publication of over 100 policy research papers and the revival of the Legislative Digest after a six year break.
According to him, the library now records more than one million website visits every week, has attracted over 20,000 digital subscribers, reaches more than 1.5 million people across social media platforms and has hosted over 50 national policy dialogues.
He said the library remains committed to supporting lawmakers through research, innovation, preservation of legislative history and strategic partnerships while expanding citizens’ access to parliamentary resources.
The National Assembly Open Week will continue with policy discussions, exhibitions, interactive sessions and stakeholder engagements aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and public participation in Nigeria’s legislative process.
