NASC Commends NILDS on Seven Years of Transformational Leadership Under Prof. Abubakar Olarewaju Suleiman
The National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) has commended the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Olarewaju Suleiman, for providing visionary leadership that has transformed the institute into a leading centre of excellence in legislative studies, democratic governance, policy research, and capacity development.
The commendation was delivered by the Executive Chairman of NASC, Dr. Saviour Enyiekere, PhD, through the Commissioner representing the North Central Geo-Political Zone, Hon. Salihu Umar Agboola Balogun, at the commemorative ceremony marking the seventh anniversary of Professor Suleiman’s stewardship.
The event, themed “Seven Years, One Vision, Enduring Impact,” celebrated the institute’s achievements over the past seven years and highlighted its contributions to strengthening legislative institutions and democratic governance in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the Commission, Hon. Salihu Umar Agboola Balogun congratulated the Director-General on the milestone and applauded the management and staff of NILDS for organising the event.
Hon Salihu Umar Agboola Balogun described the anniversary theme as a reflection of the institute’s transformational journey, characterised by purposeful leadership, institutional resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
According to him, the celebration provided an opportunity not only to commemorate the institute’s achievements but also to reflect on the progress made in strengthening legislative institutions, promoting democratic governance, advancing policy research, and building the capacity of legislators, parliamentary staff, public institutions, and development partners.
Hon. Balogun noted that over the past seven years, NILDS has consolidated its position as Nigeria’s foremost legislative think tank through innovative programmes, high-quality research, strategic partnerships, and professional training initiatives that have enhanced legislative effectiveness and democratic accountability.
He reaffirmed NASC’s commitment to sustaining its strategic partnership with NILDS, particularly in the areas of staff development, institutional reforms, legislative research, policy formulation, and administrative innovation.
According to him, the collaboration between both institutions has significantly strengthened the professionalism and efficiency of the National Assembly bureaucracy while improving service delivery.
The NASC representative also observed that the world is experiencing rapid changes driven by technological innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, evolving public expectations, and increasingly complex governance challenges.
He stressed that legislative institutions must continue to adapt through innovation, research, evidence-based policymaking, and continuous learning.
He commended NILDS for responding proactively to these global realities by expanding its research frontiers, strengthening digital learning platforms, promoting legislative innovation, fostering international collaborations, and providing timely policy support to democratic institutions across Nigeria and beyond.
Looking ahead, Hon. Balogun identified key strategic priorities for the institute, including deepening legislative research and policy analysis, strengthening collaboration among legislatures, academia, development partners, and civil society organisations, expanding digital learning and knowledge management systems, investing in leadership development and specialised professional training, promoting institutional reforms and comparative legislative studies, and enhancing regional and international cooperation.
He said these priorities would further position Nigeria as a leading centre for parliamentary excellence in Africa while strengthening democratic governance and supporting sustainable national development.
The Commissioner acknowledged that institutional excellence requires resilience, teamwork, dedication, and visionary leadership, noting that every milestone achieved by NILDS over the past seven years reflected these enduring values.
He concluded by praising Professor Suleiman for repositioning NILDS as a globally respected institution and also commended the institute’s management, staff, development partners, and stakeholders for their collective contributions to its continued success.