The National Assembly is set to translate Nigerian laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and other indigenous languages as part of efforts to make legislative information more accessible to citizens.
The Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Henry Nwawuba, disclosed this in Abuja while opening the 2026 National Assembly Library Week.
The three-day event, themed “Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People,” is focused on improving legislative research, access to information and the use of parliamentary resources.
Nwawuba said the National Assembly Library was working to preserve and provide access to important legislative documents, including Order Papers, Votes and Proceedings, committee reports and Acts passed by the National Assembly.
He disclosed that the library was also upgrading its electronic resources and developing a mobile application to allow lawmakers, researchers, legislative aides and members of the public to access parliamentary information more easily.
According to him, a Bills Tracker is also being developed to enable Nigerians to follow the progress of proposed legislation through the legislative process.
The library plans to produce infographics, audiovisual materials and video explainers to simplify bills, Acts and parliamentary procedures for the general public.
Nwawuba said translating laws into indigenous languages would help more Nigerians understand legislation that directly affects their daily lives.
The library also intends to organise public policy dialogues aimed at increasing citizens’ participation in public hearings and strengthening engagement between lawmakers, researchers and the public.
He added that the initiatives would help address inconsistencies in parliamentary documents and curb the circulation of fake or unauthorised versions of National Assembly records.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented at the event by Senator Osita Ngwu, urged lawmakers to make greater use of the library, particularly amid the spread of misinformation and disinformation and the growing use of artificial intelligence.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, said accurate legislative records were essential for preserving Nigeria’s legislative history and strengthening democratic governance.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, stressed the importance of authentic and properly preserved parliamentary records, warning that digital technology could also expose official documents to manipulation, cyberattacks and impersonation.
He called for stronger cybersecurity, secure authentication, access controls, backup systems and continuous staff training as the digitisation of parliamentary records expands.
Ogunlana also noted that the continued use of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 showed the need for a more current and authoritative consolidation of federal legislation.
The President of the Nigerian Library Association, Lawal Umar, called for sustained investment in libraries and information technology, as well as stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.
The Secretary-General of the Conference of Speakers of African Legislatures, Debo Oyewale, also called for greater cooperation among African parliaments in preserving legislative records and institutional knowledge.
