https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/23 DDG Fri, 02 Oct 2026 23:55:51 GMT 2026-10-02T23:55:51Z 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. Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3656 2026-07-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3655 Nigeria's Political Transition to 2027: Challenges and Opportunities for a Multi-Party Democracy Alkali, Rufa'i Ahmed Nigeria's democratic experience since the return to constitutional rule in 1999 has been characterised by uninterrupted electoral transitions, expanding political competition, and the continuing evolution of a multi-party system. As the country approaches the 2027 General Elections, political realignments, coalition building, party defections, and strategic alliances have intensified, raising important questions about the future of democratic governance and electoral competition. This paper examines Nigeria's political transition towards the 2027 General Elections within the broader context of the country's multi-party democracy. Drawing on historical analysis and established theories of political parties and party systems, the study explores the evolution of coalition politics, mergers, alliances, defections, elite consensus, and party realignments from the First Republic to the present democratic dispensation. It further analyses the changing strengths and weaknesses of both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition political parties in the context of the emerging electoral contest. The paper argues that concerns about Nigeria drifting towards a one-party state should be understood within the broader context of the history of multi-party democracy in Nigeria. Historically, Nigeria’s multi-party democracy tends to move towards a one dominant party system rather than a one party state. This paper contends that the relative dominance of a ruling party has often been influenced not only by its political strategies alone, but also by the internal fragmentation, leadership challenges, ideological inconsistencies, and organisational weaknesses of the opposition. Historical experience demonstrates that successful political transitions in Nigeria have generally depended on broad based political coalitions, strategic elite consensus, and effective national mobilisation. The study concludes that the credibility of Nigeria's 2027 political transition will depend not merely on electoral outcomes but on the collective commitment of political parties, the electoral institutions, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media, and citizens to democratic principles, constitutionalism, peaceful political competition, and credible elections. It is hoped that the analysis and recommendations presented in this paper will contribute further to scholarly discourse, informed public debate, and policy initiatives aimed at strengthening democratic governance and democratic consolidation in Nigeria. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3655 2026-09-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3654 Borno Attack and Nigeria’s Security Response: Strengthening Legislative Oversight and Policy Coordination Udefuna, Patrick; Yerima, Hassan; Soliu, Shamshudeen Borno State remains the epicentre of Nigeria’s protracted insurgency led by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, with over 40,000 deaths and more than 2 million displaced since 2009. Recent attacks, including the April 2026 killing of a senior army general, reveal a resurgence in insurgent sophistication and expose persistent weaknesses in intelligence coordination and rapid response. Despite ongoing efforts such as Operation Hadin Kai, Nigeria’s response remains largely reactive and heavily kinetic, with limited progress in long-term stabilization and civilian protection. At the governance level, weak oversight by the National Assembly has contributed to gaps in accountability and policy coherence. To address these challenges, this brief recommends: • Strengthen statutory oversight mechanisms over counterterrorism operations: Mandate quarterly briefings by security agencies to relevant National Assembly committees, with non-compliance triggering legislative sanctions. • Enact legislation to improve inter-agency intelligence coordination: Provide a clear statutory framework that mandates organized intelligence-sharing, joint operational coordination, and standardized communication protocols among security agencies like the military, DSS, NIA, and Police operatives, while respecting existing command structures under the executive arm. • Institutionalize a legislative monitoring and evaluation framework for security operations: Establish a parliamentary-backed mechanism to assess counterterrorism outcomes through periodic policy reviews, data-driven performance audits, and compliance tracking to ensure coherence, effectiveness, and policy responsiveness. Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3654 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3653 Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management: A Legislative Agenda for Resilience in Nigeria Mikhail, Yahaya Shafiu; Yerima, Hassan; Soliu, Shamshudeen Nigeria is increasingly vulnerable to climate-related disasters, yet its disaster management system remains reactive due to fragmented laws, weak coordination, inadequate funding, and poor early warning systems. Despite existing frameworks such as the Climate Change Act (2021) and the Act establishing the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), gaps persist. This policy brief argues for strengthening Nigeria’s legal and institutional frameworks to enhance climate adaptation, mitigation, and disaster response. It recommends legislative reforms to improve funding, institutional coordination, early warning systems, and sub-nationalimplementation. Strengthening these areas will enhance national resilience and reduce the socioeconomic impacts of climate-related disasters. This brief recommends a comprehensive legislative approach, including enacting a unified Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Act, amending the NEMA Act, establishing a Climate and Disaster Resilience Fund, and developing an integrated early warning system to enhance preparedness and resilience Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.nilds.gov.ng//handle/123456789/3653 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z