IPU: Nigeria committed to social devt, justice -Deputy Speaker, Kalu

By Christiana Ekpa

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has highlighted Nigeria’s efforts to meeting global demands for sustainable social development and justice.

Speaking, Sunday, at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on the topic “Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice,” Kalu cited the country’s key legislative achievements in recent years, saying they attested to Nigeria’s commitment towards realizing the objective.

He said: “Nigeria has taken decisive steps to meet the global demand for sustainable social development and justice. Our legislative achievements in recent years bear testament to our unflinching commitment. One of the key pillars of our strategy has been the establishment of regional development commissions. Over the past year, the Nigerian Parliament has enacted legislation to create four new regional development commissions.

“These bodies are dynamic institutions tasked with channeling resources where they are needed most, ensuring that policy interventions are tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of each region. By decentralizing our development efforts, we are breaking away from the one-size-fits-all approach and ensuring that every region can chart its own course toward sustainable progress.

“We passed the Student Loan Act 2024 to open higher education to the underprivileged; established national commissions for Mass Literacy, Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, Nomadic Education, Refugees and IDPs, and Persons with Disabilities; strengthened healthcare by ensuring free emergency treatment for pregnant women and expanding health coverage via the National Health Insurance Authority; expanded health coverage, and created financial support systems—including non-collateral loans for youth and women cooperatives, entrepreneurship grants for NYSC members, and mandatory entrepreneurship education in universities; advanced social inclusion with the Not Too Young to Run Act to unlock governance spaces for youth, are considering five new gender equity bills to boost women’s representation, and have enhanced funding for the Ministry of Women Affairs for grassroots empowerment; and passed the Nigeria Startup Act 2022 and Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 to unlock digital opportunities for young entrepreneurs and tech innovators, especially women.”

Kalu also said that another significant legislative measure is the new minimum wage bill, which according to him, not only safeguards the rights of workers but also lays the foundation for a more dynamic and productive economy.

The Deputy Speaker commended the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government for implementing the tax reforms.

He also said that the parliament has initiated a robust oversight function to ensure compliance, transparency, and accountability.

“Complementing these initiatives are our progressive tax reforms, driven by our progressive reformer, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The recent tax reform bills, which emphasize a progressive taxation framework, are designed to ensure that those who benefit the most from our nation’s economic activities contribute their fair share, while vulnerable Nigerians are not overly burdened.