The effect of NILD’S capacity building activities on the legislative staff of the National Assembly (2015-2021)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examined the effect of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies capacity building activities on the Legislative Staff of the National Assembly. The study was motivated by the observation that most Legislative staff lack the capacity to carry out legislative duties on behalf of their principal (Legislators) due to the lack of required skills, due to the above, most Legislators are forced to hire the services of consultants in most cases for legislative assistance. Again, only few Legislators would conduct research to enrich debates on bills, and most Legislators would not have the benefit of good briefs from their aides. The need to ascertain whether NILDS made the desired impact or not to the Nigerian Legislature, to what extent NILDS has contributed to the capacity building of the Legislative staff of the National Assembly, and offered ways to address identified challenges. The study deployed the historical descriptive design and the purposive sampling technique. The population made up of the Legislative staff of the National Assembly, Legislative aides, the Legislators and NILDS staff with a sample size of 32, 10 of each of the population except for NILDS with 2 making a total of 32. The study revealed that NILDS is important in the sustenance of Nigerian’s Democracy through its capacity building activities to the legislature, however, poor funding, lack of manpower and conducive working space among others are challenges militating against the performance of the Institute. These challenges if solved would improve the performance of NILDS The study recommended the provision of more funds by the government, increase its manpower, and speed up the movement of the Institute to its permanent site at airport road Abuja. Finally, NASS should make provision for more funds to NILDS for the capacity building of the legislative staff to enable more number of legislative staff / Aides participate in NILDS capacity building programs.