Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives, has been making waves in international parliamentary diplomacy. Since becoming Deputy Speaker in June 2023, Kalu has accumulated responsibilities across principal forums of parliamentary diplomacy, including the ECOWAS Parliament, Pan-African Parliament, and Inter-Parliamentary Union. His international engagements have progressed from participation to responsibility, from making interventions to helping frame international parliamentary discussions.
In March 2024, Kalu joined Nigeria's delegation to the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, Switzerland. The Assembly focused on parliamentary diplomacy and building bridges for peace and understanding. During a visit to WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Kalu raised practical obstacles confronting African primary-product exporters, including product standards and aflatoxin contamination. He sought greater WTO collaboration to improve market access for Nigerian and African products.
Kalu's intervention at the IPU Assembly also addressed changes to the Union's procedures for admitting emergency items. He argued that the existing mechanism could limit the ability of African crises to receive sufficient international parliamentary attention. He raised conflicts affecting Sudan and other African countries, as well as the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and advocated for greater gender inclusion in governance.
By June 2024, Kalu's parliamentary responsibilities had expanded further with his entry into the Pan-African Parliament, the African Union's legislative organ. At the 12th Annual Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments in Midrand, South Africa, Kalu drew attention to catastrophic flooding in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States. He told fellow African parliamentary leaders that over $200 million would be required to address the humanitarian consequences.
The intervention produced a tangible parliamentary response: the Conference of Speakers subsequently expressed solidarity with Nigerian flood victims and other Africans affected by similar natural disasters. Kalu advanced proposals linked to the African Union's Agenda 2063, including subregional centres of excellence in technology, innovative financing mechanisms, and stronger public-private partnerships for infrastructure development.
In February 2025, Kalu argued that the architecture of global multilateralism required reform at meetings connected to the Inter-Parliamentary Union at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. He called for greater representation of developing countries in international decision-making and argued for Nigeria's inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Kalu's appointment to the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO in February 2025 marked a significant milestone. This was Nigeria's first representation on the panel, giving the country a place within a continuing parliamentary mechanism connected to international trade governance. Additionally, he was appointed Chairman of the Pan-African Parliament's Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs.
Key points
- Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu's international parliamentary journey has taken him to prominent forums, including the ECOWAS Parliament, Pan-African Parliament, and Inter-Parliamentary Union.
- Kalu has championed African concerns, including product standards, aflatoxin contamination, and climate change, at international parliamentary gatherings.
- His appointments to the WTO Steering Committee and the Pan-African Parliament's Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs have given Nigeria a stronger voice in global trade policy and financial leadership.
