The National Assembly of Nigeria is set to deepen the digitization of parliamentary records by translating Nigerian laws into local languages, including Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba. This initiative aims to expand public access to legislative information. Mr. Henry Nwawuba, Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, announced this during the 2026 National Assembly Library Week in Abuja. The event's theme was "Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation, and the People."
The National Assembly Library Trust Fund is investing in electronic repositories and upgrading its E-Library. A mobile application is also being developed to make legislative information more accessible to lawmakers, staff, researchers, and the public. Nwawuba described the library as the knowledge infrastructure of the legislature and a repository of parliamentary records. The library provides access to authoritative parliamentary records, including Order Papers, Votes and Proceedings, Committee reports, and Acts passed by the National Assembly.
To simplify Bills, Acts, and legislative procedures for Nigerians, the library is developing infographics, audiovisual materials, and video explainers. A Bills Tracker is also being planned, enabling users to follow bills and monitor their progress through the legislative process. These initiatives aim to address inconsistencies in official parliamentary documents and the circulation of fake or unauthorized copies of National Assembly records.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the importance of the library, describing it as a critical link between evidence, knowledge, and legislative decision-making. He called for continued support for its development. Akpabio was represented by Senator Osita Ngwu. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, also stressed the significance of legislative records in understanding Nigeria's legislative history and strengthening democratic governance.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, highlighted the challenges of maintaining a current and authoritative consolidated body of federal legislation. He noted that the continued widespread use of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, LFN 2004, reflected the laws covered by that revision exercise and was not automatically updated whenever a new Act was enacted. Ogunlana warned against the circulation of incomplete, outdated, altered, or unauthorized Bills, Acts, and other parliamentary documents.
As parliamentary records become increasingly digitized, Ogunlana stressed the need to strengthen cybersecurity, digital preservation, secure authentication, access controls, backup systems, and staff training. He warned that digitization could expose records to cyberattacks, manipulation, and impersonation of official sources. The National Assembly Library should evolve into an institution where parliamentary knowledge is preserved, authenticated, and made accessible to lawmakers, researchers, and the public.
Stakeholders, including the President of the Nigerian Library Association, Dr. Lawal Umar, and the Secretary-General, Conference of Speakers of African Legislatures, Amb. Debo Oyewale, called for sustained investment in libraries and modern information technology to improve access to legislative information. They also urged stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to build institutions capable of preserving legislative memory.
Key points
- The National Assembly will translate laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, and other local languages to expand public access to legislative information.
- The library is developing a mobile application and infographics to make legislative information more accessible and understandable.
- Stakeholders emphasize the importance of investing in libraries and modern information technology to improve access to legislative information.
