Legislative Institute to train manpower for democratic governance

The Director General of Nigeria Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman on Monday said the Institute would focus on training of personnel that will fill gaps identified in legislative operations in the country.

He stated this at the 8th matriculation ceremony of the postgraduate students of the Institute which held at the National Assembly, Abuja.

To build a virile democracy, he said, there was need to offer technical training in line with the global standard so that it will be possible to competent staff available for effective legislative administration.

The DG further noted that the legislative administration was too important to be left for none professionals, hence, the Institute would focus on training of legislative related courses which will not just be for the benefit of Nigeria, but Africa and beyond.

In his address, he said, a total of 123 students enrolled for post graduate studies in various studies, while he charges them to take learning serious in the obvious socio-political challenges confronting the nation.

Prof. Sulaiman said: “Today, one hundred and twenty-three (123) candidates of which Forty-eight (48) are in Masters in Legislative Studies; Nineteen (19) Masters in Parliamentary Administration; Twenty (20) Masters in Elections and Party Politics; Twenty-one (21) Masters in Law LLM Legislative Drafting; and Fifteen (15) Postgraduate Diploma in Elections and Political Party Management who have been offered provisional admission for the 2020/2021 academic session will be matriculated as students of NILDS/UNIBEN programmes.

“As matriculated students, you are expected to comply with all the rules and regulations of the institute as contained in your matriculation oath and in the students handbook already distributed to you.

“You are advised to take full advantage of the institute’s rich human, library and IT resources that will better your learning and become a worthy NILDS alumnus and ambassador in the years to come.

“It is globally accepted that competent technical legislative staff are essential to the effective functioning of the legislature and by extension in building a strong and virile bureaucracy.

‘It is in realization of this need and in response to the manpower gap identified through a personnel audit instituted by the NASS Management that NILDS has been at the forefront of developing qualitative and targeted training and educational programmes that will address the skills gaps identified in all aspects of legislative operations.

He added that programmes offered were specialised in other to churn out personnel that would effectively handle democratic governance.