Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has led a delegation of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) to the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
The visit according to his Chief Press Secretary Levinus Nwabughiogu aims to strengthen cooperation and share experiences between the two parliamentary bodies.
During the meeting with the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group of the European Parliament on Monday, Kalu emphasized the importance of collaboration.
The Deputy Speaker who chairs the Monetary and Financial Affairs Community of PAP assured that the delegation would give the partnership all the attention it deserves to ensure a mutually beneficial outcome.
He said: “The strength of Africa is the strength of Europe and vice versa. And, to leave us behind is a disservice to Europe. So, this is a step towards the right direction, and we want to assure you that it will be worth it. The step you are taking is quite commendable and we are not taking it lightly. We will give it all the attention it deserves to make sure that the expected outcome of this exchange will be rewarding to you as well as to us”.
Kalu highlighted Nigeria’s efforts to democratize the electoral space for young parliamentarians, including the establishment of the Young Parliamentarians Forum in the Nigerian Parliament.
He also discussed the challenges of promoting gender representation in Africa, citing cultural and religious obstacles.
He however noted that Nigeria has made progress in “unbundling that myth” by showcasing the value of women in value addition to leadership, to good governance.
“I commend your passion to have more women come on board. A beautiful idea but in Africa, it’s difficult. Difficult because of religious sentiments, patrilineal philosophy of life. But recently, we have started unbundling that myth by showcasing the value of women in value addition to leadership, to good governance and also letting the people know that women being in leadership is not a threat to men. It take a lot of advocacy if we are going to achieve that”, he said.
The Deputy Speaker also emphasized the need to strengthen parliamentary systems and institutional capacity, and the delegation’s visit aims to learn from the European Parliament’s experiences.
The one-week program will enable the PAP delegation to understudy the European Parliament’s methods and processes, with the goal of enhancing cooperation and promoting development in Africa.
“We want to also learn how you solved your own problem and adapt it to our own unique situation in Africa. We also want to establish a joint tax force with the European Parliament to exchange best practices in Parliamentary diplomacy and conflict prevention. Also, we will like you to support the institutionalization of the Pan African Parliament’s role in post crisis reconciliation platforms. On strengthening parliamentary systems and institutional capacity, the pan African parliament plays a crucial role in AU wide legislative oversight, citizens representation and policy harmonization although we want to better than it is”, Kalu said.
