ABUJA – The first year of Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly has been characterized by a significant surge in the number of sponsored bills, yet a slow pace of legislative progression, with a notable portion of these bills being recycled from the previous 9th Assembly.

This is the central finding of a comprehensive performance report set to be released by OrderPaper, Nigeria’s leading parliamentary monitoring organization and public policy think-tank.

The “Performance Report Card” by OrderPaper, which meticulously analyzes the bills processed from June 2023 to May 2024, reveals a troubling gap between the sponsorship of legislative drafts and their advancement through the legislative process. The data shows that over half of the bills sponsored in the Senate during this period were recycled from previous assemblies, particularly from the 9th Assembly. Similarly, nearly one-third of the bills in the House of Representatives were resurrected from past sessions, raising concerns about legislative “copy-pasting” and the potential commercialization of bill sponsorship within the federal legislature.

According to the OrderPaper report, the Senate introduced a staggering 475 bills in the first year of the 10th Assembly. However, only 19 bills were passed, while a significant 416 remain stuck at the second reading stage. In the House of Representatives, out of the 1,175 bills introduced, only 58 were passed, with a vast majority of 967 bills still awaiting second reading.

The report also highlights the concerning lack of legislative engagement by certain members. Fifteen senators did not sponsor any bills, and in the House of Representatives, 149 members, or 12.6% of the total membership, failed to sponsor a single bill within the reviewed period. Notably, 62% of these non-sponsoring representatives are first-time lawmakers.

Furthermore, the report underscores a disturbing lack of focus on critical national issues. For instance, bills related to agriculture and food security comprise only 5.8% of the total bills in the House and 7.3% in the Senate. Security-related bills make up just 7.2% of House bills and 5.4% of Senate bills, despite the pressing challenges in these sectors.

The complete report and detailed datasets will be available on OrderPaper’s official website at https://orderpaper.ng/. Constituents, political leaders, civil society organizations, and the general public are encouraged to visit the site and OrderPaper’s social media platforms for more insights.

Oke Epia, Founder and Executive Director of OrderPaper, commented on the report’s findings, emphasizing that while the surge in bill submissions reflects a positive trend, the slow progress in processing these bills highlights an enduring challenge in the National Assembly. “There’s a significant gap between the quantity of bills and their progression into law. Citizens must demand accountability from lawmakers, focusing on the quality and impact of legislative work rather than sheer volume,” Epia stated.

Epia also called for urgent action from legislators, citizens, and parliamentary partners to utilize the insights from the performance report card to push for more impactful legislative governance. “We must move beyond the hollow boast of bill volume to focus on laws that address Nigeria’s pressing challenges. The gap between promise and progress must be closed if the 10th Assembly is to fulfill its potential,” he added.

Joy Erurane, Programme Executive for Creativity and Innovation at OrderPaper Nigeria, provided further insight into the report’s approach, highlighting the in-depth sectoral analysis of the bills. “Our analysis covers key areas such as education, health, economic development, security, and public finance. This enables stakeholders to better understand legislative impacts and aids in informed decision-making,” Erurane said.

OrderPaper, Nigeria’s foremost independent parliamentary monitoring organization and policy think tank, has been at the forefront of bridging the gap between the people and parliament. Known for its authoritative parliamentary data, OrderPaper has consistently delivered credible annual performance appraisals of National Assembly members. Its #NASSReportCards are celebrated for their unmatched accuracy, in-depth analysis, and have garnered widespread acclaim from lawmakers, civil society, and other stakeholders.

For more information and to access the full performance report, visit https://orderpaper.ng/.

Source: The Independent Newspaper