By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu will soon transmit two Executive Bills to the National Assembly seeking special legislative seats for women and representation for persons with disabilities at the national and sub-national levels.
Abbas made the disclosure while hosting the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, the President of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, Prof Justin Green, and other board members on a visit to the National Assembly.
Briefing his guests on the legislative initiatives of the 10th National Assembly, he explained that the proposed legislation on women’s representation would create special seats for women, separate from the existing elective seats legislative candidates contest for.
The Speaker disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Justice was fine-tuning the Bill, following President Tinubu’s agreement to sponsor it as an Executive Bill.
“We have persuaded Mr President, and he has accepted for the very first time to sponsor the Executive Bill. Through our efforts, the Executive Bill proposed to the National Assembly to provide seats, special seats for women, that would be independent from the regular seats that have been contested,” he said.
Abbas further disclosed that President Tinubu was expected to transmit another Executive Bill in the coming weeks, providing legislative representation for persons with disabilities at both the national and sub-national levels, explaining that the National Assembly facilitated the initiative in collaboration with the Presidency.
“We also initiated and facilitated, through Mr President, for the very first time, the inclusion of representation of the physically challenged in the National Assembly and the sub-nationals,” he said.
The Speaker explained that both initiatives formed part of the efforts of the 10th Assembly, which began in June 2023, to promote inclusivity and broaden participation in governance.
He also highlighted the National Assembly Open Day, an annual initiative introduced by the House to enable Nigerians scrutinise its legislative activities and engage directly with lawmakers and committees, disclosing that the initiative’s third anniversary had recently provided an opportunity for people from different sectors to interact with the House and make recommendations.
Abbas said the Open Day initiative was aimed at making the National Assembly more accessible and responsive to Nigerians, pledging that the House would continue introducing measures to strengthen public participation in the legislative process.
Turning to Nigeria’s hosting of the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), scheduled for November 15 to 22, 2026, the Speaker described the event as a historic opportunity to showcase the country’s potential to the international community, explaining that it would allow participants from around the world to see Nigeria beyond perceptions of its development challenges.
“I am happy, particularly not because of the 126 countries coming, but for the opportunity that will present itself for those doubting Thomases around the world who think Nigeria is at the lowest ebb of development, to come and see with their eyes what Nigeria is and what Nigeria is promising to be in the future,” he said.
Abbas assured organisers of the National Assembly’s support for the forum, describing Nigeria’s hosting of the international gathering as a significant achievement.
Speaking further, Neliaku disclosed that Nigeria had overcome several hurdles and international doubts about its readiness before securing the right to host the WPRF, noting that while Africa first hosted the forum in 2007, the forthcoming edition would be the first time it would be held alongside the continental public relations conference.
He said the successful defence of Nigeria’s hosting bid had reinforced confidence in the country’s capacity to host the global event.
Green, on his part, explained that Nigeria’s hosting of the WPRF followed a decade-long effort to bring the global public relations gathering to Africa, despite persistent misconceptions about the continent, recalling that an earlier attempt to host the forum in Africa in 2015 had been cancelled.
“This has been 10 years in the making,” he said, describing Nigeria’s successful bid as a major breakthrough after years of setbacks.
Green further commended Abbas for legislative initiatives promoting inclusivity, particularly those involving children, youth, women and persons with disabilities, stating that the initiatives reflected the values of the Global Alliance, which seeks to bring people from different regions and cultures together.
