By Adeyinka Adeniran
In a continued push to strengthen legislative governance and accelerate constitutional reforms across Nigeria, the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq in Ilorin.
The meeting focused on building institutional synergy between the legislative and executive arms at the sub-national level.
Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin used the opportunity to brief the NGF Chairman on the wide-ranging reforms initiated under his leadership of the Conference of Speakers.
“We are committed to repositioning State Houses of Assembly to be more impactful, autonomous, and responsive to the needs of our people. We believe that collaborating with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is critical to achieving these objectives.”
The Conference Chairman presented key reform initiatives designed to promote legislative autonomy, capacity building, public accountability, and inter-governmental cooperation across the country.
He also solicited the support and partnership of the NGF in ensuring the successful actualization of these reforms nationwide, describing the Governors’ Forum as “a key ally in driving institutional change.”
“We are not working in isolation. For meaningful change to happen, we need our Governors. Their partnership is crucial, and pivotal.”
On the ongoing constitutional amendment process, the Conference Chairman, emphasized the importance of aligning the positions of the NGF and the Conference of Speakers to ensure the success of key amendments that reflect current realities and those that will strengthen Nigeria’s federal system.
“We look forward to a united front on constitutional reform. This is a historic opportunity to reshape governance for the better, and collaboration between our two bodies is essential. We need the Governors’ Forum to support key legislative proposals such as devolution of power, fiscal federalism and State Policing ”
In his response, the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, commended Rt. Hon.Ogundoyin for his proactive leadership and reaffirmed the NGF’s commitment to strengthening democratic institutions across the country.
“Earlier today, I also visited the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, where we shared insights on inter-legislative collaboration and the priorities of the Conference going forward.”
