The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas, has called for enhanced collaboration to strengthen inter-parliamentary relations between Nigeria and the European Parliament.
Mr. Abbas made the call while receiving members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), who paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Benjamin Kalu, the Speaker said; “there is need for concrete action that reflects a true partnership of equals in solving shared challenges and building a prosperous future.”
He appealed to the delegation to facilitate legislative exchange programmes where Nigerian and European parliamentarians can hold committee sessions, share best practices in legislative drafting, collaborate on thematic areas such as climate legislation, digital governance, trade policy, and democratic accountability.
According to the Speaker, this peer-to-peer learning will strengthen both institutions.
Joint Parliamentary Committee
Mr. Abbas also called for establishment of a Joint Parliamentary Committee dedicated to Nigeria-EU relations, to provide a structured platform for regular dialogue on legislative priorities, policy alignment, and mutual accountability on commitments made at executive levels.
The Speaker commended the delegation for their work, saying that “their efforts in strengthening trans-Atlantic and EU-Africa relations have not gone unnoticed.”
Mr Abbas said; “We should consider upgrading the Nigeria-EU Dialogue Mechanism to include a parliamentary track, complementing the ministerial-level engagements with annual parliamentary consultations.
“This ensures that legislatures, the true representatives of the people, are at the center of shaping and monitoring the partnership. These roundtables should involve not only parliamentarians but also technical staff, civil society, and the private sector, ensuring that legislative action is evidence-based and inclusive.”
The Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, David MacAllister, said their mission at the House was to deepen mutual understanding, explore new areas of collaboration, and reinforce political and economic ties between both sides.