Former governors Gbenga Daniel, Adams Oshiomhole and Abdulaziz Yari chair the Standing Committees on Navy, Interior and Water Resources, respectively
As is common in parliaments all over the world, the legislature is organised into committees specialised in different areas of governance to play a crucial role in the legislative process.
These committees referred to as Standing Committees, review and shape proposed legislation, carry out probes (investigations), and oversee government agencies within their respective areas of expertise.
In this light, the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives in Nigeria’s Tenth National Assembly recently announced its Standing Committees. While the House of Representatives announced 134 Standing Committees, the Senate, on the other hand, constituted seventy-four (74).
READ ALSO: 10th NASS: Composition of the House of Reps Standing Committees
Another key issue in parliaments globally is the issue of the Majority Caucus (usually the party with the highest number of seats) and what accrues to them. As is customary, members of the majority party often dominate the Committee leadership. It’s members also have the authority to schedule hearings, set the committee’s priorities, and guide the discussions on bills and other matters.
Interestingly, the Tenth National Assembly has been described arguably as the politically diverse in Nigeria’s parliamentary history; with eight political parties holding at least one seat in the federal parliament.
This phenomenon is however, not overly obvious in the Standing Commttees of the Nigeran Senate where seven parties namely; All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) with at least one seat in the Red Chamber.
READ ALSO: Opposition Senators chair Power, Health, Niger Delta as Akpabio announces Committees
According to the Committees announced by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during the last plenary of the Chamber held on August 4 shortly before embarking on recess, Senators elected under the majority All Progressives Congress (APC) chair forty-eight (48) out of the 74 standing committees, leaving the remaining twenty-six (26) to be divided among their counterparts from the Minority Caucus.
Upon closer examination of the Committees and their leadership it is evident that key committees such as Appropriations, Finance,Petroleum (Upstream), Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Agriculture, Works, Tertiary Education, Aviation, and FCT, will be overseen by Senators from the majority APC.
Below is a list of these forty-eight (48) Chairpersons and their Committees:
| S/N | COMMITTEE | CHAIRMAN |
| 1 | Constitution Amendment | Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin (APC Kano North) |
| 2 | Federal Capital Territory (FCT) | Ibrahim Bomai (APC, Yobe South |
| 3 | Army | Abdulaziz Yaradua (APC, Katsina Central) |
| 4 | Media and Public Affairs. | Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) |
| 5 | Information and National Orientation | Eze Emeka (APC, Ebonyi Central) |
| 6 | ICT and Cyber Crime | Afolabi Salisu (APC, Ogun Central) |
| 7 | Tertiary Education and TETFUND) | Muntari Dandutse (APC, Katsina South) |
| 8 | Police Affairs | Abdulhamid Mallam-Madori (APC, Jigawa North East) |
| 9 | Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) | Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Coss River South |
| 10 | Marine Transport | Sani Wasiu Eshinlokun (APC Lagos Central) |
| 11 | Local Content | Ohere Sadiku (APC, Kogi Central) |
| 12 | Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) | Alli Sharafadeen (APC, Oyo South) |
| 13 | Agriculture and Rural Development | Mustapha Saliu (APC Kwara Central) |
| 14 | Legislative Compliance | Musa Madobi (APC, Kebbi South) |
| 16 | Privatisation | Orji Uzor Kalu (APC Abia North) |
| 17 | Inter-Parliamentary Affairs | Danjuma Goje ( APC Gombe Central) |
| 18 | Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation, | David Jimkuta (APC Taraba South) |
| 19 | Senate Services | Senator Sunday Karimi ( APC Kogi West) |
| 20 | Youth and Sports Development | Yemi Adaramodu (APC Ekiti South) |
| 21 | Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters | Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) |
| 22 | Rules and Business | Titus Zam (AP, Benue Northwest) |
| 23 | Navy | Gbenga Daniel (APC Ogun East) |
| 24 | National Security and Intelligence | Umar Shehu (APC Bauchi South) |
| 25 | Trade and Investment | Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara North) |
| 26 | Water Resources | Abdulaziz Yari (APC Zamfara West) |
| 27 | Petroleum Resources (Upstream) | Eteng Williams (APC Cross River South) |
| 28 | Foreign Affairs | Sani Abubakar Bello (APC Niger North) |
| 29 | Agricultural Colleges and Institutions | Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC, |
| 30 | Environment, | Akintunde Yunus (APC Oyo Central) |
| 31 | Employment, Labour and Productivity, | Diket Plang (APC Plateau Central) |
| 32 | Culture and Tourism, | Ishaku Elisha (APC Adamawa North) |
| 33 | Cooperation and Integration NEPAD, | Sahabi Ya’u (APC Zamfara North) |
| 34 | Customs and Excise, | Isa Jibrin (APC Kogi East) |
| 35 | Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions | Abiru Adetokunbo (APC Lagos East) Banking |
| 36 | Finance | Senators Musa Sani (APC Niger East) |
| 37 | Appropriations. | Solomon Adeola (APC Ogun West) |
| 38 | Sustainable Development Goals | Idiat Oluranti (APC Lagos West) |
| 39 | Special Duties | Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC Borno Central) |
| 40 | Defence | Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North) |
| 41 | Petroleum Downstream | Jide Ipisagba (APC Ondo North) |
| 42 | Interior | Adams Oshiomhole (APC Edo North) |
| 43 | Establishment and Public Services | Cyril Fasuyi (APC Ondo Central) |
| 44 | Capital Market | Osita Izunaso (APC Imo West) |
| 45 | Aviation | Buhari Abdulfatai (APC Oyo North) |
| 46 | Local and Foreign Debts | Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (APC, Sokoto North) |
| 47 | Works | Patrick Ndubueze (APC, Imo North) |
| 48 | Solid Minerals | Osita Ngu |
