The Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, has called on State Assemblies to domesticate the new tax acts, emphasizing the importance of legislative action in strengthening fiscal governance and security at the sub-national level.
He made this appeal at a workshop organized by
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, KAS in Lagos.
Rt Hon Guwor, on behalf of the Speakers, expressed appreciation to Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for organizing the workshop, which he described as important and timely.
While welcoming the Country Director of KAS in Nigeria, Mr. Moritz Sprenker to Nigeria’s democratic development space, he said that the Conference is looking forward to a productive and impactful working relationship under his leadership.
The Chairman highlighted KAS’s longstanding partnership with State Houses of Assembly, citing its “strong commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, supporting legislative capacity development, promoting transparency, and advancing reforms that improve governance outcomes at the sub-national level”.
Guwor pointed to some specific interventions, including “legislative strengthening Programmes, institutional support engagements, and most notably the harmonization of the Standing Orders of State Houses of Assembly,” which he described as “a landmark contribution toward improving legislative practice and procedural efficiency across State Legislatures.
He said the workshop on the New Tax Acts and security governance represents “yet another strategic intervention” that offers State Legislatures the chance to “deepen their understanding of the evolving fiscal policy framework, strengthen legislative oversight of public finance, and contribute meaningfully to security governance through appropriate legislative responses at the State level.
“As key democratic institutions closest to the people, State Houses of Assembly play a central role in translating national reforms into practical legislative actions that directly improve citizens’ welfare, enhance internally generated revenue frameworks, and support coordinated responses to emerging security challenges,” Guwor stated.
While acknowledging progress made through the KAS partnership, the Chairman appealed for “continued collaboration and expanded engagement between KAS, the Conference of Speakers, and State Legislatures across Nigeria.”
Guwor listed areas for deeper cooperation to include legislative institutional strengthening, fiscal governance and public finance oversight, digital transformation of State Legislatures, constitutional and governance reforms, and citizen-centered legislative service delivery.
“The Conference of Speakers remains fully committed to sustaining this productive partnership and working closely with KAS to advance democratic governance, legislative effectiveness, and institutional development across the States of the Federation,” The Speaker added.
Rt Hon Guwor congratulated the organizers of the workshop and wished participants very fruitful and impactful deliberations.
