National Institute for Legislative Studies

De **National Institute for Legislative den Democratic Studies** (NILDS) be Nigerian institute plus de goal say ego promote democracy den best practice legislative activities within Nigeria.

## Demma History
President Goodluck Jonathan sign de institute go existence for March 2, 2011. Dem later rename de institute as **De National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies** (NILDS) as per de NILS Act, 2017 wey President Muhammadu Buhari sign. Dis extend de institute make dem  provide capacity development services.

## Demma Achievements
Political developments particularly be significant give de activities of NILDS as institution of democracy. Democratic governance return go de country for 1999 insyd against de background of several challenges, one wey na ebe highly weakened parliamentary institution for Nigeria. NILDS dey continue dey play sam crucial role for strengthening legislative capacity for de National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, National Parliaments den ECOWAS Parliament.

De impact of de capacity building activities of de Institute be important secof de high rate of turnover of legislators since 1999. Only 29 out of de 109 Senate members for de Fifth Assembly return go de Sixth Assembly. Similarly, only about one third of de House ein members return. For de last three elections, de proportion of new legislators for NASS average 74.5 percent. De situation no be different give State Houses of Assembly. Dis very high turnover rate always dey make NILDS focus for continuous training for legislators so say dem go fit participate well for demma legislative activities wey dey include engagement plus bills, motions, den oversight. For 2015 insyd, NILDS successfully organize de Induction of New Legislators (National and State).

De Institute dey meet all ein targets for foreign training programmes wey samtyms dey exceed ein targets for national training programmes give legislators.

Similarly, de Institute ein performance for ein core operations (routine programmes) be exceptional as evidenced for ein outputs for de following insyd: issue/data/sector briefs; policy analyses; bills analyses, bills tracking, na bills be scrutiny, den Bills drafting. Odas dey include drafting motions, occasional papers; briefs of argument/lead debates drafted; Research reports submitted; den oda research related activities (wey dey include speeches) wey dem implement.

De Institute consistently dey work for developing partnerships, identify new funding opportunities, den implement chaw capacity building den outreach activities plus ein partners. Dese partners dey include African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNDP-Democratic Governance for Development (DGD), de Association of European Parliamentarians plus Africa (AWEPA), De Partnership for Advocacy in Child den Family Health (PACFaH), UN Women, den Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation. De Institute sana establish productive relationship plus reputable external institutions like Harvard University, McGill University, International Law Institute (ILI), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), USA, den Johns Hopkins School of International Studies (SAIS), Washington DC, USA, among others.

For 2013 insyd, wey de Institute start ein postgraduate programmes in affiliation plus de University of Benin. De programmes be Master's Degree for: Legislative Drafting; Parliamentary Administration, Legislative Studies, Elections den Party Politics den Post Graduate Diploma in Parliamentary Administration den Elections den Party Management. De Institute sana secure NBTE approval wey dem start de HND programme in Parliamentary Administration den Official Reporting for 2018 insyd. National Assembly staff, legislative aides den odas from government ministries wey de private sector benefit immensely from dese programmes.

Ova de years, de Institute expand ein sub-regional reach go national parliaments for Africa plus de following specific objectives: (i) enhance de capacity of ECOWAS Parliament den NASS so say dem go effectively carry out demma mandate den responsibilities; (ii) foster learning den sharing experiences den best practices among legislators across ECOWAS countries den (iii) enhance de institutional capacity of NILDS so say dem go deliver de legislative capacity building den research services for ECOWAS sub region insyd.

De Institute sana achieve sam Africa-wide reach through ein various international conferences den training programmes. For instance, de first Africa Legislative Summit (ALS) wey de Institute organise for November 2013 insyd bring togeda participants from ova twenty (20) African countries make dem discuss de legislature for Africa wey ein central role give democratic governance. Esana identify ways through wey governments den parliaments go fi address de underlying causes of conflict, insecurity, instability den underdevelopment for de continent insyd. In addition for such regional conferences insyd, de Institute sana plan den undertake trainings den exchange of experience visits give chaw African parliaments wey dey include Uganda, Somaliland and Ghana. Undoubtedly, NILDS' Africa reach cam gain momentum wey ego hia say dem go further cultivate den sustain am.

Policy work dey for de heart of de Institute ein mandate den NILDS carry out annual budget analysis give de National Assembly. Equally, de Institute spearhead de law reform efforts of de National Assembly as well attempts say ego reform de country ein tax laws so say ego promote de ease of doing business wey dey Nigeria. Similarly, de Institute lead de efforts say ego reform de budget process for Nigeria through de introduction of sam Budget Process Bill. Oda policy works of de Institute dey include research den publications – all wey dem design say ego supply legislators plus accurate, timely den relevant information so say ego aid demma legislative functions. Sam of dese publications dey include *A Century of Lawmaking for Nigeria insyd*.

Say dem expand mandate den sam ever rising demand for ein services, de Institute continue dey develop ein human resources capacity.

Professor Ladi Hamalai, MFR serve as de Director General of de Institute from 2011 go 2019.

Dem appoint Professor Abubakar O. Sulaiman, wey be sam Professor of Political Science den International Relations, sam former Minister for National Planning den Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission was as de Director General for 2019 insyd.

## Demma Publications
NILDS get chaw published research wey be available give de general public.

## References