NILDS DG Commends Staff, Corps Members As Three-Month French Language Training Concludes

Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman, has commended the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for its continued contribution to the Institute’s capacity-building efforts, while calling for a stronger and mutually beneficial relationship between NILDS and the Economic Community of West African States Commission.

Prof. Sulaiman made the call at the closing ceremony of the three-month French Language Training Programme organised for staff of the Institute, where he described the initiative as part of efforts to strengthen NILDS’ capacity to effectively engage with Francophone countries and regional institutions.

The Director General acknowledged the NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Y. D. Ahmed, who was represented by Chief Chukwu Chiwendu and Mrs Ekereobong Akuboh representing the ECOWAS Commission at the ceremony, as well as members of the Institute’s management, the Director of Training and International Cooperation, instructors and participants.

He expressed appreciation for the commendations received during the ceremony, noting that whatever achievements the Institute had recorded were products of collective responsibility, teamwork, and the commitment of its management and staff.

Prof. Sulaiman emphasised the strategic position of NILDS as the academic and research arm of the Nigerian Legislature and a leading capacity-building institution serving parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and democratic institutions across the West African sub-region and beyond.

He noted that the Institute has, over the years, supported capacity development in several countries, including the Republic of Benin, Liberia, Ghana, South Africa and Somalia, while also strengthening its engagement with the ECOWAS Parliament.

The Director General explained that the growing engagements with Francophone countries and institutions had created the need to develop in-house French language and interpretation capacity.

He recalled that NILDS’ engagement with the Republic of Benin, including an agreement to train members of the Beninese Parliament over a three-year period, as well as its work with the ECOWAS Parliament, had highlighted the importance of having staff who could communicate effectively in French.

Prof. Sulaiman noted that the Institute had previously relied on external vendors for interpretation services during some of its engagements, a practice that incurred significant financial costs. He said the management therefore decided to develop internal capacity by engaging French-speaking Corps Members through the NYSC.

He disclosed that he personally approached the NYSC leadership to request French-speaking graduates among the Corps Members posted to the Institute, stressing the importance of the initiative to NILDS’ growing regional engagements.

According to him, the NYSC responded positively to the request, providing French-speaking Corps Members who subsequently contributed to the establishment and development of the French Language Programme.

The Director-General commended the Corps Members for their dedication, professionalism, and commitment, noting that their contributions to the Institute went beyond the teaching of French.

He highlighted the broader contributions of Corps Members to the Institute, including community development initiatives, and cited the construction of a toilet facility for a nearby public school by one of the Corps Members as an example of their commitment to service.

Prof. Sulaiman further disclosed that NILDS had increased the allowances of Corps Members three times within the last three years and had introduced a practice of retaining the services of at least one outstanding Corps Member annually

He explained that the Institute places emphasis on training, mentoring, and grooming Corps Members, adding that the approach provides them with meaningful professional experience and opportunities to contribute to national development.

The Director General, therefore, expressed appreciation to the NYSC for its continued support and urged the organisation to consider Corps Members serving at NILDS in its search for outstanding Corps Members deserving of recognition at the national level.

He also stressed the importance of strengthening NILDS’ relationship with the ECOWAS Commission, noting that both institutions have a unique advantage of being neighbours and should build a relationship that is mutually beneficial.

Prof. Sulaiman said NILDS has a lot to offer the ECOWAS Commission in areas such as capacity building, postgraduate education, and professional development, while also acknowledging the benefits the Institute could derive from closer collaboration with the Commission.

He disclosed that some staff of the ECOWAS Commission had already applied for postgraduate programmes at NILDS, describing the development as an opportunity to deepen academic and institutional cooperation between both organisations.

The Director General emphasised that stronger collaboration with ECOWAS was important to NILDS’ broader mandate of contributing to legislative and democratic development across the West African sub-region.

He further commended the management, directors, instructors and staff who participated in the French Language Training Programme, noting that the willingness of senior officers and directors to participate as students demonstrated the Institute’s commitment to continuous learning and capacity development.

Prof. Sulaiman congratulated the participants on the successful completion of the three-month training and encouraged them to continue developing and applying their French language skills in their professional responsibilities and engagements.

He expressed confidence that the programme would enhance NILDS’ ability to engage more effectively with Francophone parliaments and institutions while strengthening its partnerships with the NYSC and ECOWAS.

The closing ceremony marked the successful completion of the three-month French Language Training Programme and underscored NILDS’ commitment to continuous capacity development, regional collaboration and the strengthening of institutional partnerships in support of legislative and democratic development in Africa.