Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas on Tuesday said the 10th House received a record 2,747 bills in its first three legislative years, the highest since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
He disclosed this at the opening of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week and the unveiling of the House’s Third Year Legislative Scorecard in Abuja.
Abbas said the House passed 363 bills during the period, while 72 received presidential assent, noting that the legislation included the Student Loan Act, tax reform measures, revenue administration reforms and regional development commission laws aimed at improving governance and economic growth.
The Speaker said the House also received more than 800 public petitions, with hundreds already resolved, describing the Open Week as an accountability initiative designed to strengthen transparency and deepen citizens’ participation in the legislative process.
According to him, the National Assembly provided the legal framework needed to implement President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms through legislation, appropriation and oversight.
He said the legislature had partnered with the executive to enact laws supporting tax reforms, infrastructure development, power and human capital investment.
On security, Abbas said the House had already passed a State Police Bill as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process, stressing that the initiative was intended to improve security by allowing states to play a greater role in policing.
He announced that President Tinubu had transmitted a more comprehensive Executive State Police Bill to the National Assembly, saying the House would recall its earlier version and give expedited consideration to the executive proposal because of its national importance.
The Speaker assured Nigerians that the Executive Bill would undergo public hearings and open legislative scrutiny, adding that the proposed law would include safeguards on accountability, protection of human rights and clear limits on the powers of state police authorities.
Abbas also defended the proposed Special Seats Bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in elective offices, explaining that beneficiaries would emerge through an electoral college supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission rather than political appointments.
He acknowledged that many bills introduced in the House often experience delays and admitted that lawmakers had sometimes focused excessively on creating new government agencies.
He said efforts were underway to strengthen existing institutions instead of expanding bureaucracy.
The Speaker dismissed claims that the National Assembly merely rubber-stamps executive proposals, arguing that speedy presidential assent usually reflects months of legislative work, consultations and committee scrutiny before bills reach the President.
He urged Nigerians to participate more actively in lawmaking by attending public hearings, studying bills and submitting memoranda.
According to him, democracy is strengthened when citizens engage directly with Parliament rather than observing from a distance.
Abbas thanked the Senate, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders for supporting legislative reforms and democratic governance.
He described the National Assembly Open Week as an opportunity for Nigerians to assess the performance of their elected representatives and contribute to national development.
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