The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) has initiated moves to establish a strategic partnership with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) to strengthen legislative reporting, enhance democratic accountability and promote evidence-based journalism in Nigeria.
The proposal was presented during a courtesy visit by an NGIJ delegation led by its President, Malam Abdulrahman Aliagan, to the Institute’s headquarters in Abuja.
The Director-General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar O. Suleiman, was represented at the meeting by the Director of Legal Services, Professor Ibrahim Danwanka.
Also present were the Special Adviser to the DG on Media, Mr Muhammad Abdulkadir, and the Director of Information, Mr Emmanuel Atakpo.
Speaking during the visit, Aliagan described the engagement as a deliberate and strategic effort to build strong institutional synergy between investigative journalism and legislative research institutions.
He commended the leadership of Professor Suleiman for repositioning NILDS as a leading centre for legislative studies and democratic governance in Africa.
According to him, the meeting was far beyond a ceremonial visit, noting that the institutions share a common objective of strengthening democracy, promoting accountability, and deepening good governance in Nigeria.
He explained that while NILDS advances democratic governance through research, training and legislative capacity development, NGIJ complements these efforts through investigative journalism, public-interest reporting and governance tracking across the country.
He highlighted the Guild’s Governance Assessment Visits carried out in Kogi, Bayelsa, Ondo, Kwara, Osun and Kaduna states, noting that the initiative has contributed to improving public discourse, strengthening transparency and promoting accountability, particularly at the subnational level.
The NGIJ President proposed collaboration in key areas, including training on legislative processes, joint research and publications, policy dialogues, data sharing and fellowship programmes for journalists and researchers.
He also informed the Institute of the Guild’s plan to host the Dele Giwa Memorial Annual Lecture on Investigative Journalism in June as part of activities to mark Democracy Day.
He requested that the Director-General of NILDS serve as the keynote speaker and sought approval to use the institute’s auditorium for the event.
He expressed confidence that the NILDS Director-General’s participation would enrich national discourse on investigative journalism and democratic governance.
Responding on behalf of the Director-General, Professor Danwanka welcomed the proposal and described the initiative as timely and beneficial to national development.
He commended NGIJ for its commitment to accountability journalism and for recognising the Institute’s growing role in strengthening democratic institutions.
He noted that legislative reporting is a specialised field that requires proper training and institutional knowledge, stressing that collaboration between journalists and NILDS would significantly improve the quality of legislative coverage in Nigeria.
He explained that NILDS was established by an Act of Parliament in 2011 and later expanded in 2017 to include broader responsibilities covering democratic institutions and civil society organisations.
According to him, the Institute has recorded significant growth under Professor Suleiman’s leadership, expanding from four departments to eleven, with increased staff strength and wider national, regional and continental visibility.
He added that NILDS currently provides research and capacity-building support not only to Nigeria’s legislature but also to parliaments across West Africa and other parts of Africa, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ghana and Togo.
He assured the NGIJ delegation that all requests presented during the visit, including collaboration proposals, use of the Institute’s facilities and the invitation to the Director-General, would be conveyed for necessary action.
He also acknowledged NGIJ’s commendation of the appointment of Mr Abdulkadir as special adviser on media, describing the recognition as thoughtful and well-deserved.
