Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, on Tuesday called for greater transparency, stronger legislative oversight and increased citizen participation as the 2026 National Assembly Open Week commenced in Abuja.
The 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 review the performance of the 10th National Assembly and deepen public engagement with the legislature.
Representing President Bola Tinubu, Gbajabiamila described the Open Week as a platform that should go beyond ceremonial activities to promote accountability, dialogue and partnership between parliament and Nigerians.
He said transparency transforms constitutional authority into public trust, while inclusion ensures that the voices of all Nigerians are reflected in national priorities.
“An Open Week must therefore be more than the ceremonial opening of the gates of Parliament. It should be an invitation to scrutiny, dialogue and partnership. Citizens should be able to follow how laws are made, understand how public resources are appropriated, and see how legislative oversight protects the national interest,” he said.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives commended the leadership of the National Assembly, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, for sustaining reforms and public engagement initiatives.
He stressed that although the Executive and Legislature are independent arms of government, both share a common responsibility to improve the lives of Nigerians.
“Constructive cooperation does not diminish legislative independence, nor does robust debate amount to institutional conflict. Our democracy is strengthened when both arms engage with mutual respect, constitutional fidelity and a clear focus on results,” Gbajabiamila said.
He urged lawmakers to measure their achievements not only by the number of bills passed but by their impact through effective legislation, improved budget implementation, stronger oversight and increased public confidence in government.
Also speaking, PLAC Executive Director Clement Nwankwo acknowledged the progress made by the 10th National Assembly in areas such as constitutional review, legislative modernisation, electoral reforms, digital innovation and citizen engagement.
He, however, said Nigerians expect the legislature to exercise stronger oversight over the executive and improve transparency in its operations.
“The legislature is at its strongest not when it agrees with the executive, but when it faithfully discharges its constitutional duty to scrutinise executive action, protect public resources and ensure that government remains accountable to the people. The jury is out there on how you have performed in this regard,” Nwankwo said.
He urged the National Assembly to conclude the constitutional amendment process, including passage of the Special Seats Bill for Women, strengthen electoral laws, expand inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups, and enhance evidence-based oversight before the end of its tenure.
Nwankwo reaffirmed PLAC’s commitment to supporting legislative reforms through technical assistance, research, legislative drafting, policy analysis and digital tools aimed at improving citizens’ access to parliamentary information.
He maintained that “a stronger legislature makes for a stronger democracy.”
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library, Henry Nwawuba, announced the launch of the National Assembly Library Mobile App to improve public access to parliamentary information.
According to him, the application will enable citizens to track 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 live updates on parliamentary activities.
Nwawuba also highlighted the achievements of the National Assembly Library since its establishment two years ago, including the digitisation of more than 8,500 legislative materials, preservation of thousands of parliamentary records, production of over 100 policy research papers and the revival of the Legislative Digest after a six-year hiatus.
He said the library now attracts more than one million website visits weekly, has over 20,000 digital subscribers, reaches more than 1.5 million people on social media and has hosted over 50 national policy dialogues.
According to him, the library remains committed to supporting lawmakers through research, innovation, preservation of legislative heritage and strategic partnerships while expanding public access to legislative information.
The three-day National Assembly Open Week features policy dialogues, exhibitions, interactive sessions and stakeholder engagements aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and public participation in Nigeria’s legislative process.
