Reps introduce 2,747 bills, pass 363 in three years

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

ABUJA — The House of Representatives says it introduced 2,747 bills and passed 363 during the first three years of the 10th National Assembly, describing the record as evidence of its commitment to legislative reforms and governance.

Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Francis Waive, disclosed the figures on Monday during a media briefing in Abuja marking the end of the third legislative session.

According to Waive, the bills introduced since June 2023 comprise 57 Executive bills, 95 Senate concurrence bills and 2,595 private members’ bills.

He said the House passed 363 bills over the three sessions, comprising 89 in the first session, 148 in the second and 126 in the just-concluded third session.

Giving a breakdown of activities during the third session, Waive said the House introduced 484 bills, including 31 Executive bills, 391 private members’ bills and 62 Senate concurrence bills.

He added that lawmakers considered 220 motions, of which 192 were referred to standing committees and 28 to ad hoc committees, while 121 were admitted as matters of urgent public importance. The House also considered 48 public petitions during the period.

Waive said key legislation passed by the House included the 2026 Appropriation Bill, the Electoral Act 2026, constitutional amendment proposals providing for the establishment of state police, tax reform measures and the Minimum Wage Act.

According to him, the legislation is aimed at strengthening governance and improving the welfare of Nigerians.

“We are sharing this data with Nigerians because the House of Representatives is working. This is the scorecard for the session,” he said.

Also speaking, the House Spokesman, Hon. Akin Rotimi, said several laws passed by the House were already producing tangible results.

He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established through legislation initiated by the House, noting that more than 1.6 million Nigerians had benefited from the scheme, with over ₦303 billion disbursed in student loans.

Rotimi explained that the difference between the number of bills introduced and those passed was partly due to the consolidation of related bills into single pieces of legislation.

He also disclosed that more than 300 constitutional amendment proposals had been introduced and were at different stages of legislative consideration.

According to him, the House leadership is reviewing its legislative agenda to prioritise key reforms for the fourth legislative session.

“We’ve covered a lot of ground, but there is still a lot more to do. We are reviewing our legislative agenda internally to ensure that key promises made to Nigerians are delivered before the end of this Assembly,” he said.

Responding to questions from journalists, Waive said the Committee on Rules and Business does not keep records of bills that have received presidential assent, explaining that such information is maintained by the Clerk to the National Assembly and the Presidency.

He also said that after the House passes concurrence bills, they are transmitted through the Clerk to the National Assembly, while subsequent legislative action falls outside the committee’s responsibilities.

Waive defended the increasing number of establishment bills, particularly those creating federal institutions, saying many had resulted in functional projects, including the establishment of Federal Medical Centres across the country.

On allegations that lawmakers paid to have bills listed for consideration, both Waive and Rotimi denied any such practice.

Waive said the lawmaker whose comments sparked the allegation had clarified that he was referring to the time, effort and consultations involved in securing legislative support rather than monetary inducement.

Rotimi, who said he had sponsored more than 40 bills, maintained that the legislative process remained transparent and that all bills undergo constitutional and procedural scrutiny before being listed for first reading.

On the proposed state police framework, Waive explained that the constitutional amendment approved by the House provides only the legal basis for establishing state police, while a separate amendment to the Police Act would define its operational structure and relationship with the Nigeria Police Force.

Looking ahead, Rotimi said the House plans to vote on about 40 constitutional amendment bills during the fourth legislative session, including proposals on reserved seats for women and other governance reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

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