The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., signed a landmark agreement on Thursday to implement the Parliamentary Development Programme, an initiative earlier agreed upon by the Speaker’s Office and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Elsie Attafuah, the Resident Representative of UNDP in Nigeria, signed the agreement on behalf of the UNDP, leading a delegation from the organization.
Earlier this year, the Speaker’s Office and the UNDP had signed the Parliamentary Development Programme, which outlines the capacity needs assessment of the 10th House of Representatives.
During the signing ceremony held in Abuja, Speaker Abbas remarked, “This is a historic moment for the UNDP and Nigeria.”
The ceremony was attended by key figures, including the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere; Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi; Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Toby Okechukwu; Deputy Chief of Staff to the Speaker, Hon. Chamberlain Dunkwu; and Head of the Programmes Coordinating Unit, Dr. Jerry Ohuo, among others.
Speaker Abbas highlighted the significance of the agreement, stating, “Today marks a milestone for the legislature, the National Assembly, and particularly the House. We have signed a critical document that, legislatively speaking, is perhaps the most important collaboration between the House and the UNDP since the inception of our parliamentary democracy in Nigeria.
“This agreement involves training not only for members of the legislature but also for the staff and clerks of the House of Representatives over the next three years. The UNDP has graciously agreed to rent an office dedicated to this project and employ staff to oversee the process from start to finish. This is indeed a moment of history for the UNDP and Nigeria.
“I believe that, in due course, this collaboration will strengthen the Nigerian legislature’s capacity to deliver on our promises to the people across all key areas of concern.”
In her remarks, UNDP Resident Representative Attafuah praised the Speaker and the House for their partnership with her organization. “We are truly honored that you, Mr. Speaker, have shown faith in us, believing that we can deliver. We will not disappoint you,” Attafuah assured.
She reiterated UNDP’s commitment to Nigeria’s development and praised the Speaker’s visionary leadership of the 10th House of Representatives. Attafuah also commended Speaker Abbas for his focus on women’s inclusion and participation in politics and governance, a key area of concern for the UNDP.
The partnership between the Speaker’s Office and the House of Representatives is expected to significantly contribute to achieving these goals.
The UNDP delegation included the Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah; Deputy Resident Representative for Programmes, Varsha Redkar-Palepu; Team Lead for Governance, Peace, and Security Unit, Matthew Alao; Technical Specialist for Legal Sector Reform, Paul Turay; and Public Engagement, Outreach, and Partnership Lead, Christabel Chanda-Ginsberg.
Other members of the delegation were Partnership Analyst, Eno-Mfon Akinde; Project Analyst for Governance, Peace, and Security Unit, Oluwatosin Richard Ologunla; and Project Officer for Governance, Peace, and Security Unit, Moyosoluwa Oladayo.
