House Speaker urges lawmakers to focus on duties, reveals 100-day plan

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has introduced a 100-day plan to speed up pending bills and committee reports. He warned lawmakers not to let political campaigns for the 2027 elections distract them from their legislative work.

Mr Tajudeen made this announcement on Tuesday in Abuja during his welcome speech as the House resumed plenary after its annual break.

He called on members to attend plenary and committee meetings more and to focus on important bills and urgent national matters.

He said the plan would require committees to finish pending reports within set timelines. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to major legislative work.

"We must remain focused," the speaker said. He cautioned that the demands of the political season should not affect the responsibilities lawmakers owe their constituents.

"Our constituents elected us for a full term, and they deserve a full term of service," he added.

Mr Tajudeen noted that the 10th House is now in its fourth and final phase. He emphasized the need for lawmakers to review their work and finish outstanding legislative tasks before the Assembly ends.

He also suggested publishing a scorecard and legacy report before the Assembly wraps up. This would help Nigerians compare the House’s promises with its actual performance.

Giving an update on the House’s work, Mr Tajudeen said lawmakers had received 2,747 bills and passed 363 by mid-June 2026.

He mentioned that the passage rate improved from about seven percent in the first session to around 26 percent in the third session. During this time, the House also processed many motions and public petitions.

But he warned against judging legislative performance only by the number of bills passed. He said the real measure should be how legislation and oversight benefit Nigerians.

"A law must solve a problem. A motion must lead to action. An investigation must protect the public interest. Oversight must improve the management of public resources," he stated.

Mr Tajudeen said an internal review showed the House completed between 65 and 70 percent of its main goals in its Legislative Agenda.

He urged lawmakers to use the remaining time to finalize priority bills, strengthen oversight, and ensure that outstanding proposals are considered before they expire.

One of the House’s immediate priorities is finishing the constitutional review process. He specifically mentioned the proposed state police and reserved seats for women bills.

These bills and other constitutional changes need ongoing talks with the Senate and State Houses of Assembly.

The state police proposal aims to let states set up their own police forces. The reserved seats proposal seeks to boost women’s representation in legislative bodies.

Mr Tajudeen also urged the Executive to quickly submit the Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the 2027 budget. This would give lawmakers enough time to review the fiscal plans before the next budget process.

He said timely submission would help the National Assembly conduct a thorough review and prepare for passing the budget on time.

The Speaker also announced that the House would focus on bills and requests sent by President Bola Tinubu, such as the National Research Development Fund Bill and a request to domesticate the Geneva Conventions and their relevant protocols.

He explained that domestication of these humanitarian laws would enhance protections for civilians, wounded individuals, and prisoners during conflicts.

He praised the president for sending this request, calling it important for Nigeria’s national and diplomatic interests.

Mr Tajudeen called on lawmakers to safeguard the electoral process as political activities ramp up for the 2027 elections. He said the Electoral Act must be followed, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should get the support it needs to fulfill its duties.

He added that public institutions involved in the elections must act fairly and responsibly.

The speaker recognized that political shifts and defections are happening across parties. But he urged members not to let personal interests harm the work of the House.

"Whatever our political affiliations or personal ambitions, we remain members of one House. We are bound by one Constitution and one oath. The campaign must never become more important than the country," he said.

He urged lawmakers to keep attending plenary and committee sessions regularly. He insisted that legislative work and oversight must continue even with the elections approaching.

Mr Tajudeen called for more accountability in managing public funds, especially at the state level. He said improvements in government revenues should lead to better roads, stronger schools, safer communities, and effective healthcare.

He shared some economic indicators, including growth above four percent, a drop in inflation to 15.39 percent in August from 23.14 percent a year earlier, and external reserves of $54.7 billion in September.

He also noted that Nigeria had a trade surplus of over N20 trillion in the first half of 2026, nearly double the amount from the same period in 2025.

While acknowledging these positive developments, he stressed that they should lead to better living conditions with affordable food, productive jobs, accessible credit, and reliable public services.

He also mentioned new investment commitments in ports, power, agriculture, and industry. This includes a proposed $7 billion Gateway Deep Seaport and Blue Marine Economic Zone, which could create jobs and increase exports.

Mr Tajudeen, however, said the government must tackle ongoing security and humanitarian issues.

He expressed worries about reports of kidnapped schoolchildren in Borno, attacks and displacements in Ondo, and flooding and erosion in Enugu and Abia during the break.

He called for urgent aid for affected communities and lasting solutions to prevent future attacks and disasters. He also said security agencies should get the support they need while being accountable for their resources and powers.

The speaker said the House would keep checking how the 2025 Appropriation Act is being implemented. He noted that the extension of its capital component to December 31 was to protect ongoing projects and avoid wasting public funds.

But he warned that this decision must lead to quicker implementation and visible results, not more delays.

"The extension must produce faster implementation and measurable results. It must not excuse further delay," he said.

He added that the House would keep reviewing budget releases, implementation timelines, and project performances.

Mr Tajudeen encouraged cooperation among the legislature, executive, and judiciary. He stressed that each arm of government is constitutionally independent.

He thanked House members, including the Minority Caucus, for their contributions to the institution. He called for continued teamwork in the final phase of the Tenth Assembly.

He said the remaining months should be used to finish priority legislation, strengthen oversight, and show that the House has met its obligations to Nigerians.