Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, held a key meeting on Tuesday with the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr. Martin Chungong. The meeting took place at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to a statement from Musa Krishi, Special Adviser to the Speaker, the meeting happened on the sidelines of the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, which is currently ongoing.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Chungong thanked Nigeria for its long-standing commitment to parliamentary diplomacy. He praised the leadership of both Akpabio and Abbas for their active role in promoting global legislative cooperation.
He recalled Nigeria’s important contributions in the past, especially in the “Not Too Young to Run” campaign, which encouraged youth participation in politics.
The meeting focused on deepening collaboration between the IPU and Nigeria’s National Assembly in two main areas: climate change and gender equality.
Mr. Chungong praised Nigeria’s efforts to pass progressive laws and encouraged lawmakers to support pending bills that would give women more political opportunities. He also invited Nigeria to support the IPU’s global campaign to bring more young people into parliaments.
In response, Speaker Abbas thanked the IPU for its ongoing support, especially a recent $25,000 grant that helped train members of the House Committee on Climate Change.
He also spoke about Nigeria’s efforts to improve gender inclusion in politics, mentioning the Reserved Seats Bill. This bill, supported by the President, proposes three extra seats per state for women in the House of Representatives. A similar proposal for the Senate suggests two reserved seats in each of the six geopolitical zones.
The Speaker also highlighted Nigeria’s leadership in climate policy. He mentioned the Climate Change Act of 2021, the first of its kind in West Africa, and noted that the country’s 2025 budget includes $400 million for climate projects. He stressed the need for strong private sector involvement and promised that the National Assembly would monitor how these funds are used.
On the topic of inclusion, the Speaker reaffirmed that the National Assembly is committed to protecting the rights of women, young people, and persons with disabilities. He announced the creation of a Standing Committee on Youths in Parliament, which will help promote discussions between younger and older generations.
He also raised concerns about changing global health priorities, especially the recent withdrawal of U.S. funding (through USAID) for HIV treatment. He assured that Nigeria’s 2025 budget has made strong provisions to reduce the impact of that funding cut.
In closing, Mr. Chungong applauded Nigeria’s leadership role and said the IPU would continue to support efforts to fight misinformation about laws related to inclusion.
He added that the IPU remains committed to promoting climate justice and inclusive governance, especially in its upcoming presentation at COP32, the next global climate conference.
