The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has commended the performance of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) led by its Director-General, Abubakar Sulaiman.
Mr Akpabio gave the commendation on Friday in Abuja at a one-day symposium organised by the institute to mark the sixth anniversary of Mr Sulaiman as the director-general of the institute.
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Mr Sulaiman, a professor, was appointed the director general of the legislative institute on 29 May 2019.
The symposium was titled “Reflecting on the Six Years of Impact: A Symposium in Honour of Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, DG of NILDS.”
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Represented by a member of the Governing Council of NILDS, Victor Umeh, Mr Akpabio lauded the leadership qualities of the DG, describing him as dogged and resilient.
According to the Senate President, Mr Sulaiman is somebody they have found very resilient, dogged and committed to trying to make something out of nothing.
“This institute, he has turned it around so much that anytime you drive into these premises, you know that you are walking into an ambience of a citadel of learning, where people’s minds are developed.
“For us in the legislature, this place is a place where the skills of lawmakers are honed. When you come here, you will understand the basic symbols of lawmaking.
“And once you follow the guides and the lectures they give you, you turn out to be a good lawmaker; the purpose of setting up this institute is very well realised under his leadership,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, the Founder of GOTNI Leadership Centre, Linus Okorie, emphasised the need for transformational leadership in the country.
He explained that transformational leadership is a concept that places a premium on people and is inspired by a compelling vision, strengthened by upholding sound principles that change both the leader and the followers.
According to him, this leads to sustainable outcomes in individuals, businesses, organisations, institutions, and nations.
Mr Okorie affirmed that Nigeria has abundant resources, a vibrant population, and an enviable geo-strategic position in Africa.
“Yet, the paradox of poverty amidst plenty, the contradictions of policy inconsistency, and the challenge of elite disconnect from the populace remain deep-rooted.
“These are not just economic or political issues-they are leadership issues,” he said.
Mr Okorie said that for national transformation, leadership must go beyond positional authority to purpose-driven impact.
He said leadership prioritising the common good is needed in politics, civil service, the private sector, education, healthcare, the judiciary, and the security sector.
Mr Okorie said leaders must be able to galvanise collective energy toward a shared national destiny.
“Let every leader here today rise beyond convenience into conviction. Let our institutions evolve from compliance-based to values-driven. Let governance become less about power and more about purpose.
“For in the end, nations do not change because of the abundance of resources or the eloquence of policies; they change because of the intentionality, integrity, and imagination of those who dare to lead differently.
“Professor Abubakar Sulaiman embodies these qualities. His work at NILDS reminds us that institutions can work, that excellence is possible, and that leadership still matters. May his legacy inspire many others across the country.
“It is men and women that shape the destiny of nations by chance, but by the choices they make and the values they uphold.
“As we celebrate this milestone, may we also make a renewed commitment to lead boldly, serve selflessly, and transform our great nation, Nigeria, for the better,” he said.
NILDS should provide intellectual solutions to indiscriminate defections – Yiaga-Africa
In his remarks, Samson Itodo, the executive director of Yiaga-Africa, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), tasked the DG with providing intellectual solutions to indiscriminate defection by political party members.
He said that though the Supreme Court had ruled that votes belonged to the party, those who still defected from one party to another were not leaving their office.
Mr Itodo said the institute needed to do more to ensure women’s inclusion in politics, leadership and all other sectors.
The executive director also urged the DG to push for electoral reforms and the passage of a new Electoral Act before the end of the year.
Also speaking, Country Representative Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) Adebowale Olorunmola said there is a need for a deep reflection on the decades of leadership crisis in the country.
He said the conversation should not stop until Nigeria gets the right leaders in every position nationwide.
Mr Olorunmola said that though Nigeria has a lot of transformational leaders, the country was still far behind its peers in terms of development.
According to him, Nigeria is a divided country because it does not have transformational leaders in places of authority.
“One thing you will agree with me is that the political space is closed against those people, those that carry all the principles that transformational leaders should have.
“This is because it will not be business as usual, the people that we have in leadership want the business to continue as usual. It is something that we need to think about deeply. How do we then get the real transformational leaders into the space?
“We need to invest in building our leaders that are there now, but we must also invest in future leaders, the people, the young people that are coming; that is the problem that we need to deal with,” he said.
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Responding, Mr Sulaiman appreciated the past and present leadership of the National Assembly for his appointment and the time so far spent in office as DG of NILDS.
He said that despite attempts to cripple the institute in the last two years by some individuals, the leadership of the assembly had sustained the institute.
Mr Sulaiman tasked the leadership of the National Assembly to get rid of individuals in the assembly undermining the institute for the good of the country.
“The institute has the potential to survive. We have the potential to redirect this country. We have potential to mentor the younger ones. The only thing we need is the willingness of our people to give us maximum support.
The high point of the symposium was the inauguration of the NILDS Journal on Law Review.
