A bill seeking to transform the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) into a full-fledged university serving Nigeria and the West African sub-region has passed first reading in the Senate.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-IDRI-Masterclass.png")
The proposed legislation, titled the West African University of Legislative Studies (Establishment) Bill, 2026 (SB.1087), is sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.
The bill was introduced for first reading during Senate plenary, marking the beginning of the legislative process to establish a specialised university dedicated to legislative studies, democratic governance and institutional development.
Barau had announced his intention to sponsor the bill on Monday while representing the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, at the 10th Convocation Ceremony of the NILDS–University of Benin (UNIBEN) postgraduate programmes in Abuja.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Deputy Senate President disclosed that he had commenced discussions with the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, on the modalities for transforming the institute into a university.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, Barau explained that the proposed institution would build on NILDS’ existing infrastructure and institutional capacity to strengthen legislative practice, democratic governance and regional integration across West Africa.
“Going by the quality of infrastructure this great institute has acquired over the years, there is a need for it to be transformed into a full-fledged university,” Barau said.
He explained that Nigeria’s leadership role within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) placed the country in a position to establish a regional institution capable of training legislators and other stakeholders from member states.
“I even told him that, as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Nigeria has always played a fatherly role within the ECOWAS community. Going by the structure of this great institute, it can serve not only Nigeria but the entire West African sub-region.
“The university should be named the West African Institute of Legislative Studies so that we can bring in legislators not only from Nigeria but also from all ECOWAS member states to study here. This would be a way of extending our role in uniting the people of West Africa,” he said.
Barau noted that the presence of major ECOWAS institutions in Nigeria, including the ECOWAS Parliament, ECOWAS Commission and ECOWAS Court of Justice, further strengthened the country’s suitability to host a regional university specialising in legislative capacity building and democratic development.
According to him, the proposed university would provide opportunities for lawmakers, legislative staff and other stakeholders across West Africa to acquire specialised knowledge and practical skills in legislative procedures, democratic governance and institutional development.
He expressed optimism that the National Assembly would pass the proposed legislation and that President Bola Tinubu would subsequently assent to it.
If enacted, the legislation would provide the legal framework for transforming NILDS into the proposed West African University of Legislative Studies, expanding its existing training and postgraduate programmes to serve a wider regional audience.
The bill must, however, undergo further legislative consideration and secure the necessary approvals before the proposed university can be established.
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
