How Senate recorded historic legislative legacy under Akpabio — NIW

Nigeria Integrity Watch (NIW) has revealed how the 10th Senate, under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, recorded what it described as a significant legislative legacy through interventions in electoral reform, fiscal governance, economic transformation, security, education and institutional oversight.

The organisation, in a statement signed by Dr John Samuel Nangi on Saturday, said the Senate’s performance should be assessed based on the substance and impact of its legislative work rather than political sentiments.

According to NIW, the National Assembly’s legislative tracker showed that the Senate had processed hundreds of bills since its inauguration in June 2023, with 106 bills recorded as passed as of April 23, 2026.

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The group identified the amendment of Nigeria’s electoral framework as one of the major legislative developments under the current Senate.

The amended Electoral Act was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in February 2026, following its consideration and passage by the National Assembly.

NIW said the reform was aimed at strengthening the electoral process and providing clearer legal provisions for the conduct and management of elections.

The organisation also highlighted the Senate’s role in the country’s budgetary process, particularly efforts to restore the January-to-December fiscal cycle.

It said the 2024 budget marked an important stage in the return to the January-to-December cycle, with the National Assembly passing an appropriation law to fund government programmes and projects.

Beyond appropriations, the group said the Senate had subjected major economic and fiscal reforms to legislative scrutiny, including the tax reform legislation signed into law by President Tinubu in 2025.

According to NIW, the tax reforms were designed to restructure Nigeria’s tax administration and revenue framework, with the stated objectives of improving revenue generation and creating a more efficient fiscal environment.

The group also cited legislative interventions in the energy and digital economy sectors, including measures addressing electricity supply, investment, taxation, and data governance.

On education and social welfare, NIW identified the student loan framework and legislation on the national minimum wage among the notable interventions of the 10th National Assembly.

It said Akpabio had also identified the Student Loan Act, tax reform legislation and the Minimum Wage Bill among the major interventions of the current National Assembly.

Security, according to the organisation, had remained another major area of legislative attention, with the Senate considering legislation and exercising oversight aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and institutional capacity.

The group further pointed to the ongoing constitutional review exercise, which has reopened discussions on issues including state policing, fiscal relations among the tiers of government and local government administration.

According to NIW, the issues remain central to debates over the structure and effectiveness of Nigeria’s federal system.

The organisation also highlighted the Senate’s constitutional responsibility of scrutinising executive nominations, noting that ministerial screening and confirmation proceedings had provided opportunities for nominees to respond to questions on their qualifications, policy priorities and preparedness for public office.

It added that the Senate had exercised oversight over government borrowing and other credit facilities as part of its constitutional responsibility to scrutinise public finance.

Infrastructure, NIW said, had similarly featured prominently in the legislative and oversight activities of the National Assembly, with senators monitoring major government projects and interventions across sectors.

However, the organisation cautioned that the passage of laws alone could not guarantee improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

It said the effectiveness of legislation depended largely on implementation, adequate funding, administrative capacity, institutional accountability and sustained public oversight.

NIW, therefore, said the performance of the 10th Senate should be assessed not only by the number of bills passed but also by the extent to which the laws translated into measurable improvements in governance and the welfare of Nigerians.

The group said the legislative record of the 10th Senate provided a basis for examining its contribution to Nigeria’s democratic and developmental process as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

It added that the enduring legacy of the Akpabio-led Senate would ultimately depend on the quality of laws enacted, the strength of institutions they created or strengthened, and the impact of their implementation on Nigerians.