The National Assembly has announced plans to make Nigerian laws available in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and other indigenous languages as part of efforts to improve public access to legislative information.
The initiative will be implemented alongside the digitisation of parliamentary records and the expansion of electronic library services at the National Assembly.
The Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Henry Nwawuba, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while declaring open the 2026 National Assembly Library Week.
The three-day event is themed “Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People.”
Nwawuba said the programme was designed to promote legislative research, improve access to information and encourage greater use of the resources available at the National Assembly Library.
He explained that the library was more than a repository for books and documents, describing it as a key component of the legislature’s knowledge system and a repository of records documenting Nigeria’s parliamentary history.
According to him, the library is working to make important legislative materials more accessible to lawmakers, legislative aides, researchers, journalists and members of the public.
The materials include Order Papers, Votes and Proceedings, committee reports, Acts passed by the National Assembly, gazetted laws and other official legislative documents.
Nwawuba said translating laws into Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and other indigenous languages would enable more Nigerians to understand legislation affecting their daily lives.
He said the move would also help reduce language barriers that may prevent some citizens from accessing and understanding official legislative information.
The Executive Secretary disclosed that the Trust Fund was investing in electronic repositories and upgrading the National Assembly E-Library to improve access to parliamentary records.
He added that a National Assembly Library mobile application was being developed to make legislative information more accessible to users.
Another planned feature is a Bills Tracker, which will enable Nigerians to follow the progress of bills as they move through different stages of the legislative process.
The library is also developing infographics, audiovisual materials and video explainers to present Bills, Acts and legislative procedures in simpler and more accessible formats.
Nwawuba said public policy dialogues would also be organised to encourage greater participation in public hearings and provide more opportunities for interaction among lawmakers, citizens, researchers and other stakeholders.
He linked the reforms to the need to address the circulation of fake, altered or unauthorised National Assembly documents.
Speaking on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senator Osita Ngwu urged lawmakers to make greater use of the National Assembly Library.
Akpabio said the library remained important at a time when misinformation, disinformation and artificial intelligence were changing how information was produced and circulated.
He described the library as a critical link between evidence, knowledge and legislative decision-making and called for continued support for its development.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, also stressed the importance of preserving parliamentary records.
Abbas, who was represented by the House Leader, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, said legislative records were essential to understanding Nigeria’s legislative history and strengthening democratic institutions.
He said the effectiveness of a legislature should not be measured only by the number of laws it passes, but also by how well it documents, preserves and provides access to institutional knowledge.
Abbas also acknowledged the role of technology and artificial intelligence in legislative research and records management, while stressing the need for accuracy, security and professional judgment in their use.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said legislative independence would be weakened if the National Assembly could not properly generate, preserve, retrieve and authenticate its records.
Ogunlana identified the Order Paper, Votes and Proceedings and Hansard as key components of Nigeria’s parliamentary memory.
He explained that the Order Paper sets out the business before lawmakers, while Votes and Proceedings document decisions and activities of the legislature. Hansard, he added, preserves debates and contributions made during proceedings.
The Clerk warned Nigerians against relying on incomplete, outdated or altered copies of Bills and Acts circulating online or through other channels.
He said the authenticity of a law must be established by determining the correct version of the document and the legal process through which it was enacted.
Ogunlana also raised concerns about continued reliance on the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, LFN 2004, as a consolidated source of federal legislation.
He explained that the LFN 2004 reflected laws covered by the revision exercise at the time and was not automatically updated whenever a new Act was enacted.
He said this made it necessary to strengthen systems for maintaining and providing access to current and authoritative federal laws.
The Clerk also called for stronger cybersecurity measures as the National Assembly moves more of its records online.
He identified secure authentication, access controls, backup systems, digital preservation and staff training as areas requiring attention.
According to him, digitisation would make legislative records easier to search, access and share, but it could also expose them to risks including cyberattacks, manipulation and impersonation of official sources.
The National Assembly said the planned reforms were intended to preserve parliamentary records while making legislative information more accessible, understandable and easier for Nigerians to engage with.
