The National Assembly of Nigeria is taking steps to increase access to legislative information by translating laws into Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other indigenous languages. This initiative aims to promote legislative research, access to information, and effective use of the National Assembly Library's resources. The Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Mr. Henry Nwawuba, announced this during the 2026 National Assembly Library Week in Abuja.
The National Assembly Library Week, themed "Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People," is a three-day event that seeks to promote legislative research and access to information. The library is described as the knowledge infrastructure of the legislature and a repository of parliamentary records. It provides lawmakers, legislative aides, researchers, and stakeholders with access to authoritative parliamentary records, including Order Papers, Votes and Proceedings, committee reports, and Acts passed by the National Assembly.
The National Assembly Library Trust Fund is investing in electronic repositories and upgrading the National Assembly E-Library. A mobile application is being developed to make legislative information more accessible to lawmakers, staff, researchers, and the public. Additionally, a Bills Tracker is being created to enable users to follow bills and monitor their progress through the legislative process. Infographics, audiovisual materials, and video explainers are also being developed to make bills, Acts, and legislative procedures easier to understand.
The translation of laws into local languages is expected to widen access to legislative information and help citizens understand laws that directly affect their daily lives. The initiative also aims to tackle inconsistencies in official parliamentary documents and the circulation of fake or unauthorized copies of National Assembly records. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has urged lawmakers to make greater use of the library, particularly in the face of growing challenges of misinformation and disinformation.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, emphasized the importance of legislative records in preserving Nigeria's legislative history and strengthening democratic governance. He noted that the strength of a legislature should be measured not only by the laws it enacts but also by how effectively it documents its activities and preserves institutional knowledge. Technology and artificial intelligence can enhance legislative research and records preservation, but their adoption must be guided by accuracy, security, and professional judgment.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, stressed that Parliament cannot be truly independent without the capacity to generate, preserve, retrieve, and authenticate its institutional knowledge and records. He identified the Order Paper, Votes and Proceedings, and Hansard as key components of Nigeria's democratic memory. Ogunlana warned against the circulation of incomplete, outdated, altered, or unauthorized bills, Acts, and other parliamentary documents, noting that digital technology has made it easier for records to be manipulated and falsely circulated.
The National Assembly Library Trust Fund is working to ensure the integrity of parliamentary records and prevent cyberattacks, manipulation, and impersonation of official sources. The President of the Nigerian Library Association, Dr. Lawal Umar, called for sustained investment in libraries and modern information technology to improve access to legislative information. The Secretary-General of the Conference of Speakers of African Legislatures, Amb. Debo Oyewale, noted that African legislatures can learn from one another in developing institutions capable of preserving legislative memory.
Key points
- The National Assembly of Nigeria is translating laws into Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other indigenous languages to increase access to legislative information.
- The initiative aims to promote legislative research, access to information, and effective use of the National Assembly Library's resources.
- The National Assembly Library Trust Fund is investing in electronic repositories and upgrading the National Assembly E-Library to make legislative information more accessible.
