By Clement Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has called for far-reaching administrative reforms, improved inter-agency coordination and greater use of technology to strengthen the effectiveness of the National Assembly.
Abbas said the legislature’s performance should be measured not only by the quality of laws it enacts and its oversight of the executive, but also by the institutional capacity supporting the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
The Speaker made the call in a speech delivered on his behalf by Hon. Shittu Galabi at the opening of a 3-day retreat of the National Assembly management and the National Assembly Service Commission held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Friday.
The theme of the event is STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL SYNERGY, ADMINISTRATIVE” EFFECTIVENESS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
He said the retreat provided an opportunity to strengthen the institutional foundations of the legislature through improved coordination, professional standards and accountability.
According to him, the National Assembly’s responsibilities extend beyond lawmaking to the appropriation of public resources, oversight of the executive and protection of citizens’ interests.
He stressed that fulfilling these responsibilities effectively requires not only competent legislators but also a professional and capable administrative workforce that can translate legislative intentions into concrete results.
The Speaker described the retreat as part of a broader institutional agenda to strengthen capacity across the National Assembly, noting that the effectiveness of legislative outcomes depends on the combined competence of lawmakers and the personnel responsible for supporting legislative work.
He said cooperation among the political leadership, the National Assembly Service Commission and the administrative structures of the legislature was essential to achieving institutional excellence.
While acknowledging that each institution had defined responsibilities and established procedures, Abbas emphasised that constructive cooperation remained critical to improving performance.
He warned that poor coordination could delay legislative business, waste resources and weaken institutional performance, urging stakeholders to establish mechanisms that would promote timely decision-making and operational efficiency.
The Speaker also called for a comprehensive review of administrative procedures, including the reliability of official records, the speed of decision-making and the deployment of technology to reduce delays and improve productivity.
He argued that modernisation must go beyond transferring existing procedures to digital platforms, insisting that it should involve rethinking work processes, simplifying operations and deploying technology to improve efficiency, protect information and preserve institutional memory.
Abbas, however, maintained that institutional reforms would achieve little without investing in the people responsible for implementing them.
He said continuous training, merit-based promotion and clear performance standards were essential to building a professional legislative service founded on competence, integrity, impartiality and discipline.
The Speaker further warned that generational disparities among staff could threaten institutional stability and lead to the loss of valuable institutional knowledge.
He stressed that administrative effectiveness must ultimately translate into better legislative outcomes by providing lawmakers with the support required to scrutinise public policies, examine expenditure and contracts, conduct meaningful oversight and make informed decisions.
According to him, although citizens may not directly observe the administrative processes underpinning legislative functions, they experience their consequences through the quality of governance and public service delivery.
He added that professionalism in the legislative service was not merely an internal administrative concern but a critical factor in strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions.
Abbas called for a culture of responsibility, aaccountability and excellence, cautioning that efficiency must not come at the expense of accuracy, justice and fairness, while established procedures should not be used as an excuse for avoidable delays.
