The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has called for a fundamental shift toward research-driven governance to address the sub-region’s mounting crises. This call is in response to the recent withdrawal of three West African countries from ECOWAS following military coups, which demonstrates the regional body’s failure to fulfill its founding mandate.
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Director-General of the NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, linked the regional bloc’s current challenges to inadequate research foundations in policymaking during the closing ceremony of a two-week capacity-building workshop for ECOWAS Parliament staff in Abuja.
“The breakout of three countries from ECOWAS as a result of military coup showed that the commission was still far from its establishment’s mandate,” Sulaiman observed, noting that sustainable solutions to regional problems require evidence-based approaches.
The workshop, titled “Enhancing Evidence-Based Parliamentary Practice and Procedure Through Sound Research Techniques, Diplomacy, Stakeholder Engagement, and Modern Data-Driven Decision Making,” addressed critical gaps in how the regional body formulates policies and legislation.
ECOWAS Parliament’s Strategic Planning Officer, Dalhatu Zaidu, acknowledged the training’s superiority over similar programs he had attended in Europe and America, describing the NILDS package as more practical and comprehensive than international alternatives.
“I have attended a lot of workshops and training in popular institutions in Europe and America, but none was more practical and rich like the package delivered by NILDS,” Zaidu stated, highlighting the potential for African institutions to meet continental capacity-building needs.
The former Minister of National Planning argued that Africa’s persistent challenges stem from underutilisation of indigenous resources and over-reliance on foreign expertise. “What God has given us in terms of human and natural resources are not being well utilised; we underplay everything we have,” he explained.
West Africa faces multiple interconnected crises, including insecurity, political instability, climate change, and economic hardship, that require coordinated responses based on sound research rather than reactive measures.
Sulaiman criticised the current approach where “ECOWAS leaders take major decisions in policy, law, or resolution” without anchoring such decisions on empirical research, arguing that this methodology contributes to the region’s ongoing instability.
The NILDS chief called for the rejuvenation of ECOWAS Commission’s research department to meet current sub-regional demands, positioning local institutions as capable alternatives to expensive foreign training programs.
“Africa, faced with several challenges, does not need to spend resources on capacity building abroad,” Sulaiman noted, suggesting that patronising local institutions could save significant revenue while building indigenous capacity.
The workshop stressed integration of artificial intelligence tools and modern data analysis applications to enhance parliamentary decision-making processes, reflecting global trends toward technology-driven governance.
Participants committed to increased stakeholder engagement through regular consultations and improved information-sharing mechanisms, aiming to strengthen parliamentary diplomatic engagements both within and outside ECOWAS structures.
The training concluded with plans for enhanced cooperation between ECOWAS Parliament and NILDS, including utilisation of the institute’s research capabilities for data collection and analysis to inform evidence-based parliamentary decisions.
Sulaiman announced the launch of an Advanced Educational Executive Programme targeting top expertise across all sectors, positioning NILDS as a continental resource for empirical research and capacity building.
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