Strategies for Improvement of the Quality of Bills and Legislative Drafting in Nigeria

Abstract

“…a systematized,...developed approach”1or framework for legislative drafting is a necessity for the production of quality Bills or legislation which in turn contributes to the overall national development of any democracy. In the field of legislative drafting the Seidmans2 are among “some experts [who] have developed a whole theory about how [legislative] drafting can help third world development” 3 Conversely, an unorganised or “unsystematic approach”4 to legislative drafting is often identified as one of the major reasons for poor quality legislation in Nigeria and other transitional and developing countries as is established. Another authoritative study in legislative drafting, has established that “...a near complete lack of unified methodology in the drafting of legislation nationally” “especially in the third world and emerging democracies”5 is the single most important cause for poor quality Bills and legislation. The focus of this research is to persuade and make a case for the key actors and stakeholders within Nigeria’s legislative process to adopt a holistic strategy for the improvement of the quality of Bills and legislation in Nigeria through legislative drafting and other related strategies. The quality of Bills and legislation which is at the centre of this research is important and significant considering that: “…The quality of legislation can strongly influence economic development and the well-being of the citizen” The relationship between “quality legislation and economic development”, and the idea that quality legislation can promote economic development is applicable to Nigeria and other countries whose primary national goal is to achieve development as enshrined in section 16(2) (a) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (CFRN), 1999 (as amended) which provides that one of the objectives of Nigeria’s economic policy and legislation is to “promote economic development”.