Report: 48 reps, 5 senators recorded zero contributions in 1 year

At least 48 members of the House of Representatives and five Senators failed to contribute to debates, sponsor bills, or raise motions and petitions at the National Assembly over a 12-month period, according to a new report released over the weekend. The findings were contained in the Deliberative Barometer and Policy-Focus Productivity Report (NASS-DBPFR), published […]

At least 48 members of the House of Representatives and five Senators failed to contribute to debates, sponsor bills, or raise motions and petitions at the National Assembly over a 12-month period, according to a new report released over the weekend.

The findings were contained in the Deliberative Barometer and Policy-Focus Productivity Report (NASS-DBPFR), published by the Erudite Growth and Advancement Foundation (ERGAF-Africa), which tracked legislative performance between June 14, 2023, and June 13, 2024.

According to the report, the lawmakers recorded no single plenary activity during the period under review. It stressed that their failure to engage in parliamentary debates, motions, or bill sponsorship undermines legislative accountability and participatory governance.

During the 12-month review, the Senate recorded 2,275 plenary activities, with debates accounting for 663 (29.1%). The House of Representatives recorded 4,239 activities, though debates represented only 507 (11.9%).

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In terms of legislative business, bills introduced for first reading represented 15.5% of Senate work and 21% of House activity. A sectoral breakdown showed that in the Senate, economic issues dominated deliberations (18.5%), followed by security (13.7%) and education (10.9%). In the House, security-led discussions (16.9%), followed by economic matters (13.7%) and education (10.4%).

Not all lawmakers were inactive, however. The report highlighted high performers who drove parliamentary deliberations. Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin topped debate contributions with 38 interventions, while House Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere led the lower chamber with 26.

On substantive motions, Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi ranked first with 10 motions, while Ihonvbere again topped the House with 12. For petitions, Senator Ngwu Osita submitted the most in the upper chamber (3), while Okey Onuakalusi of Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency in Lagos led the House with 14. On points of order, Opeyemi and Ali Ndume (Borno South) led the Senate with six each, while Ahmed Jaha (Borno) had the highest in the House, also with six.

ERGAF-Africa said the report was designed as a policy tool to revive robust legislative deliberations, ensure lawmakers remain accountable to their constituents, and strengthen Nigeria’s participatory democracy.

The group also urged citizens to scrutinise the performance of their representatives, noting that active engagement in debates, motions, and lawmaking is the core duty of parliamentarians.