https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/29 2026-10-03T00:48:33Z https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3656 Bridging the Implementation Gap of the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration: A Call for Legislative Intervention Udom, Martins; Ishaka, Dele; Obot, Etimbuk; Nandi, Livinus; Udofa, Samuel; Samson, Okoh Oche; Amana, Naphtali The approval of the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration (NPHWM) by the Federal Executive Council in 2024 marked a significant policy response to the increasing migration of Nigerian healthcare professionals and the resulting strain on the country's healthcare system. The policy was developed to address the persistent loss of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, and other healthcare professionals through a comprehensive framework focused on workforce retention, ethical recruitment, workforce planning, diaspora engagement, and international cooperation. Two years after its adoption, concerns have been raised by some Nigerians regarding the extent to which the policy has achieved its stated objectives. This analysis finds that, while the policy has established a comprehensive framework for addressing workforce migration and has made modest progress in areas such as workforce planning and stakeholder engagement, it has not yet achieved its primary goals of significantly reducing migration, improving workforce retention, or strengthening healthcare service delivery. The analysis concludes that the policy's overall achievement level remains moderate at best, largely due to implementation challenges, inadequate funding, economic pressures, and persistent structural weaknesses within Nigeria's healthcare system. The National Assembly, therefore, has a critical role to play in strengthening implementation through funding and oversight. In light of these considerations, the National Assembly may consider the following actions: 1. Call on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and relevant agencies to establish a clear implementation framework that assigns specific responsibilities to all stakeholders involved in health workforce governance. 2. Request annual implementation reports from relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure effective implementation of health workers migration policy. 3. Through its health committees, urge the Federal Ministry of Health to establish a centralised digital database to monitor workforce supply, migration trends, distribution, and retention for evidence-based policymaking. 4. Encourage the Federal Ministry of Health to incorporate health workforce retention into national budgets, health sector reforms, and broader human capital development strategies to support sustainable healthcare delivery. 5. Support reforms to enhance remuneration, career progression, workplace safety, and incentives, particularly for healthcare professionals serving in rural and underserved areas. 2026-07-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3650 Overlapping Mandates of Legislative Committees in Nigeria’s 10th House of Representatives: Implications for Oversight Effectiveness Ngara, Chris; Ejalonibu, Ganiyu; Abdulrafiu, Mustapha; Obot, Etimbuk E.; Bemgba, Paul; Sada, Maryam; Akinde, Zainab This Policy Brief examines overlapping mandates among Standing Committees of the 10th House of Representatives and their implications for legislative oversight effectiveness. Since the return to democratic governance in 1999, the committee system has expanded significantly, growing from 72 committees in the 4th Assembly to 199 in the 10th Assembly, including Parliamentary Friendship Groups. While this expansion reflects evolving policy demands and broader legislative participation, it has raised concerns about duplication of functions, intersecting supervisory responsibilities, and clarity of oversight authority. Unlike reform initiatives within the executive branch, the internal structure of the legislature has received limited empirical scrutiny. The study focused on committees overseeing four strategic sectors (Petroleum, Education, Health, and Security) due to their fiscal significance, policy complexity, and relevance to national development priorities. Analysis of committee mandates, drawn from the House Standing Orders and complemented by key informant interviews, revealed that functional overlaps exist, particularly in the Petroleum, Education, and Health sectors, where multiple committees supervise related institutions or policy areas. The Security sector exhibited fewer instances of overlap, though intersecting responsibilities were still observed. Broadly framed mandate provisions and incremental committee growth without systematic rationalisation were observed to have contributed to ambiguity, administrative strain on MDAs, and occasional duplication of oversight activities. The research noted that while limited overlap can provide the benefit of multiple perspectives in legislative scrutiny, uncoordinated duplication risks repetitive hearings, fragmented reporting, diffusion of accountability, and increased compliance costs on MDAs. The findings do not suggest systemic structural failure but indicate the need for targeted rationalisation and improved inter committee coordination in areas where overlaps are most pronounced. In light of these findings, the National Assembly, through the House Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of Standing and Ad Hoc Committees, may wish to consider the following recommendations: ● Review and streamline existing committee mandates to identify and remove functional overlaps. Where multiple committees supervise related ministries or agencies, consolidation should be considered to improve coherence and reduce administrative burden. The review may also determine where issues can be better managed through temporary ad hoc committees rather than permanent standing structures. This approach will enhance flexibility while ensuring that standing committees retain focused, non-duplicative mandates. ● Develop a formal coordination framework to promote collaboration and communication among committees with related mandates. This mechanism may include shared oversight calendars, regular coordination meetings, and the designation of lead committees for cross sector issues. Such an arrangement can prevent repetitive oversight activities, promote the exchange of information, and produce more coherent oversight reports. ● Introduce a centralised digital oversight management platform for recording committee activities, reports, and executive responses. This system can enhance institutional memory, prevent multiple committees from issuing identical requests to MDAs, and strengthen follow-up and accountability tracking. ● Review the Standing Orders to clearly delineate the scope of each committee’s functions, specify procedures for handling overlapping issues, and formalise conditions under which joint oversight may be conducted. Codifying these provisions will establish a legal and procedural basis for coordination, ensuring efficiency and predictability in legislative oversight. ● Institutionalise continuous capacity-building programmes for committee clerks and secretariat staff, focusing on coordination practices, communication management, data sharing, and collaborative reporting. Strengthening capacity at this level may support effective inter-committee cooperation and ensure oversight processes are evidence-based and well-coordinated. By implementing these measures, the House of Representatives can further enhance oversight coherence, reduce duplication of effort, and strengthen the effectiveness of its constitutional mandate in governance. 2026-02-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3649 Oversight of 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures on Import Duties, Excise Taxes, and Industrial Protection Obot, Etimbuk; Udokang, Nsisong Boniface; Essien, Ephraim The Federal Government has introduced a comprehensive set of fiscal policy reforms for 2026 aimed at restructuring Nigeria’s trade and industrial environment. The measures include reductions in import duties on key commodities such as vehicles, rice, and industrial inputs, alongside the introduction of new excise taxes and a green surcharge regime. The policy also provides zero-duty incentives for critical machinery and infrastructure inputs to stimulate industrial growth, while incorporating supplementary protection measures such as Import Adjustment Taxes and selective import restrictions. These reforms are intended to align Nigeria’s tariff framework with regional commitments, enhance competitiveness, support domestic production, and address inflationary pressures. While the reforms reflect a strategic attempt to balance trade liberalisation with industrial protection, they raise significant policy concerns. Reduced import duties may expose local industries, particularly agriculture and manufacturing, to increased foreign competition without sufficient domestic capacity support. At the same time, new excise taxes and environmental surcharges may increase the cost of goods and services, potentially exerting inflationary pressure on households and businesses. There are also concerns regarding the fiscal implications of the reforms, as lower import duties could reduce government revenue at a time of existing fiscal constraints. The introduction of multiple tariff instruments, including adjustment taxes and prohibition lists, may further create regulatory complexity, uncertainty for investors, and risks of inconsistent implementation. Questions also arise regarding transparency in tariff-setting processes, enforcement capacity, and alignment with Nigeria’s obligations under regional and continental trade agreements. These challenges highlight the risk of policy contradictions, where simultaneous efforts to liberalise imports and protect domestic industries may undermine overall economic outcomes if not carefully managed. Without clear implementation frameworks, monitoring mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement, the reforms may fall short of their intended objectives. Given its constitutional role, the National Assembly has a critical responsibility to ensure that these fiscal measures are transparent, balanced, and aligned with Nigeria’s long-term development goals. Legislative oversight is necessary to safeguard domestic industries, ensure fiscal sustainability, and promote policy coherence. Accordingly, the National Assembly, through its Committees on Finance, Customs and Tariff, Trade and Investment, Industry, Agriculture, and National Planning, may consider the following actions: 2 www.nils.gov.ng 1. Convene a multi-stakeholder oversight hearing by inviting the Federal Ministry of Finance, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Revenue Service, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and key private-sector stakeholders to clarify the rationale behind tariff reductions and new taxes and assess expected impacts on revenue, inflation, and industrial growth. 2. Assess impact on local industries by commissioning a comprehensive impact assessment on agriculture (rice, palm oil, and sugar), manufacturing, SMEs, and automotive and steel sectors to determine whether adequate safeguards exist. 3. Review revenue implications by examining the net fiscal impact of reduced import duties versus increased excise taxes to ensure revenue neutrality or sustainability and alignment with budgetary projections 4. Mandate periodic reporting from relevant agencies on compliance with new tariff structures, effectiveness of import adjustment taxes and enforcement of prohibition lists. 5. Advise the federal government to also develop mitigation measures to address potential price increases from excise taxes and supply disruptions during the transition period. 6. Ensure that full details of the policy (as indicated for publication in the official gazette) are publicly accessible and subject to stakeholder consultation and feedback. 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3648 Urgent Need for Legislative Oversight on the Proposed Deployment of 11,000 NSCDC Agro-Rangers to Protect Farmers Obot, Etimbuk; Nandi, Livinus; Udefuna, Patrick Nigeria’s agricultural sector continues to face significant security threats from banditry, insurgency, and criminal violence, particularly in rural farming communities. In 2025, multiple attacks across states, including Borno, Benue, Plateau, and Niger, resulted in the deaths and kidnappings of farmers, disrupting farming activities and threatening national food security. Notably, in January 2025, at least 40 farmers were reportedly killed near Lake Chad by insurgents linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP. These incidents underscore the vulnerability of rural communities and the ongoing risk to agricultural production. In response, the Federal Government established the NSCDC Agro-Rangers Programme in 2016 to protect farmers and agricultural investments, initially focusing on conflict-affected areas such as Borno State. By 2024, approximately 10,000 Agro-Rangers had been deployed nationwide, but attacks persisted in many locations, with some farmers abandoning their lands despite the programme. Recently, the NSCDC announced plans to deploy 11,000 Agro-Rangers nationwide ahead of the 2026 farming season. While this reflects recognition of the threats facing farmers, questions remain regarding the operational effectiveness, strategic distribution, and coordination of the deployment with other security agencies. The issues raised include whether the proposed deployment differs from previous operations; the adequacy of coverage in high-risk areas; clarity on operational coordination with the Nigerian Army, Police, and community-based security structures; and transparency regarding funding, logistics, and personnel readiness. Without addressing these structural and operational gaps, repeated deployments risk being symbolic rather than substantively improving farmer security. Given the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight mandate over security institutions and national development sectors, legislative intervention is necessary to ensure protection of national food security, evaluate the effectiveness of the Agro-Rangers Programme, enforce accountability in security policy implementation, and strengthen rural security governance. To address these issues, the National Assembly, through its Committees on Interior, National Security and Intelligence, Agriculture, and Police Affairs, is respectfully urged to: 1. Conduct a joint oversight review of the Agro-Rangers Programme since its establishment in 2016 to assess personnel deployment, operational coverage across states, and measurable outcomes in reducing attacks on farmers. 2. Invite NSCDC leadership to provide a detailed briefing on the proposed deployment of 11,000 Agro-Rangers, including criteria for selecting priority farming areas, operational mandates, and rules of engagement. 3. Request clarification from NSCDC on how Agro-Rangers operations will be coordinated with the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, and state or community-based security structures. 4. Require NSCDC to provide details on funding allocations, logistics, equipment, mobility support, training standards, and overall operational readiness of personnel. Robust legislative oversight will ensure that the Agro-Rangers Programme is strategically implemented, adequately resourced, properly coordinated, and capable of providing meaningful protection to farmers and rural communities. 2026-03-01T00:00:00Z