NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PLANS TO TRANSLATE LAWS INTO IGBO, HAUSA AND YORUBA

The National Assembly is planning to translate Nigerian laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and other local languages as part of efforts to make legislative information easier for Nigerians to access and understand.

The Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Henry Nwawuba, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while opening the 2026 National Assembly Library Week.

Nwawuba said the initiative was part of plans to improve the digitisation of parliamentary records and make important legislative documents more accessible to lawmakers, researchers and members of the public.

He said the library was also upgrading its electronic repository and developing a mobile application that would provide easier access to parliamentary records, including Order Papers, Votes and Proceedings, committee reports and Acts passed by the National Assembly.

The Trust Fund is also developing a Bills Tracker to allow users to follow bills and monitor their progress through the legislative process.

Nwawuba added that the library was producing infographics, audiovisual materials and video explainers to simplify bills, Acts and legislative procedures for the public.

He said translating laws into local languages would help more Nigerians understand legislation that affects their daily lives and encourage greater public participation in legislative activities.

The National Assembly also plans to organise public policy dialogues to create more opportunities for interaction between lawmakers, citizens, researchers and other stakeholders.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented at the event by Senator Osita Ngwu, urged lawmakers to make greater use of the library, particularly as misinformation, disinformation and artificial intelligence continue to influence the flow of information.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, said preserving legislative records was important for understanding Nigeria’s legislative history and strengthening democratic governance.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, also called for stronger measures to protect parliamentary records from manipulation, unauthorised alterations and cyber threats.

Ogunlana said digitisation would improve access to legislative information but would also require stronger cybersecurity, secure authentication, backup systems and proper training for staff.

He stressed that parliamentary documents must be accessible, authentic and traceable, particularly as digital platforms make it easier for altered or unauthorised documents to circulate.

The National Assembly Library Week is themed, “Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People.”