Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, former Minister of National Planning and current Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has disclosed that 23 Nigerian senators and members of the House of Representatives are scheduled for another overseas training programme in two weeks.

He said the trip would cost the government a hefty—though undisclosed—amount, expressing concern over the continued preference for expensive foreign training for Nigerian legislators.

Sulaiman described such programmes as largely irrelevant to local needs, urging African governments to prioritise homegrown capacity-building institutions.

Speaking at a workshop for ECOWAS Parliament staff in Abuja on Thursday, he said, “You can’t imagine how much it’s going to cost this government to do that. I cannot even disclose it.”

While acknowledging the prestige of international institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge, Sulaiman argued that foreign training often lacks local context, making it less effective in addressing the unique challenges of African legislatures.

“All what they taught us there lacked local content. It is of no relevance. We have the resource persons, we have the resources, we have what it takes here,” he said.

NILDS, an affiliate of the Nigerian National Assembly, has trained legislators and parliamentary staff from across West Africa. According to Sulaiman, parliaments from Malawi, Somalia, Namibia, and Uganda have recently partnered with NILDS for training programmes.

He also disclosed that a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed with a foreign country for ongoing training, further underscoring the institute’s growing continental relevance.

“This is the headquarters of the Conference of African Speakers… Our edifice, in terms of facilities, you cannot see it anywhere in Africa,” he declared.

To counter the appeal of Western institutions, NILDS is set to launch an Advanced Executive Education Programme in Abuja by October, designed to rival Ivy League offerings. The programme will blend local expertise with international collaboration, including partnerships with Harvard and Cambridge.

If what is inspiring people to go to Harvard is the forex, the dollar, okay, we can charge in dollars too. If it’s the white faces, then we’ll collaborate with them. But the training must take place here in Abuja,” Sulaiman explained.

The DG stressed that the programme would serve not only Nigerian lawmakers but also top executives and parliamentarians across Africa, merging the best of African and Western legislative practices.

Despite NILDS’s capabilities, Sulaiman lamented inadequate funding. He noted that while the Nigerian National Assembly enjoys some independence, state legislatures remain overly dependent on the executive, undermining democracy.

“At the sub-national level, you cannot demarcate between the executive and the legislature. We need to do more for state assemblies,” he said.

He also challenged the notion that legislative diplomacy is solely the preserve of the executive branch, insisting that parliaments must play a central role in regional and international engagements, especially within ECOWAS.

“The key to democracy and good governance in any country is the legislature. And if the parliament is taken seriously at the national level, it must be taken seriously at the multilateral level too.”

The ECOWAS workshop, focused on parliamentary oversight, voting, and proceedings, was well received by participants.

One participant remarked, “NILDS knows ECOWAS Parliament more than the resource persons whom we meet elsewhere. We are missing NILDS, and we want a more robust relationship.”

With African governments grappling with tight budgets and waning donor support, NILDS is positioning itself as a cost-effective, context-driven alternative to overseas programmes.

“Whatever lives on today is not just for Nigeria,” Sulaiman said. “It’s for the entire sub-region. Our population, our potential is at the mercy of other Black people across the globe… We are born to lead, and that’s not accidental.” (BusinessDay)

• Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, former Minister of National Planning and current Director-General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)