The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, Wednesday, unveililed a summarized compendium of 86 Constitution Review Bills currently under consideration.
This is seen by the stakeholders as a significant step towards constitutional reform by the Committee chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
The compendium is organized into 13 thematic areas, including Electoral Reforms, Judicial Reforms, Legislature, Inclusive Governance, Security and Policing, Devolution of Powers and Strengthening of Institutions.
Others are Traditional Institutions, Fiscal Reforms, Citizenship and Indigeneship, Fundamental Human Rights, Local Government Reform and Creation of States & Local Governments.
Addressing a press conference alongside some members of the committee in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker and Panel Chairman, Kalu said the compendium provides a comprehensive overview of the proposed amendments, including explanatory memoranda, long titles, and detailed expositions of each bill.
He also said that the move is aimed at fostering public engagement and soliciting inputs from Nigerians on the proposed legislative reforms, revealing that the House intends to use the feedback gathered from the public to inform its decisions when the bills are brought up for voting.
Kalu added zonal public hearings will be held across the country, where stakeholders and members of the public will have the opportunity to scrutinize the bills, seek clarifications, and provide constructive inputs.
He said: “86 Constitution Review Bills currently under consideration in the House will be presented to the general public in form of a compressed compendium consisting of a collation of explanatory memoranda, long titles and a comprehensive exposé of the Bills for their inputs.
“The Bills, sponsored by Members of the House, represent legislative efforts
aimed at addressing various developmental challenges affecting
governance practices in Nigeria.
“The purpose of the summarized compendium are to present the Compendium as reference material to all stakeholders and members of the public during the Zonal Public Hearings, thereby enabling them to understand the legislative proposals; facilitate public engagement by allowing citizens to seek clarifications, critically examine the Bills based on their subject matter, and contribute through constructive input; foster the exchange of ideas during the Hearings, thereby providing Members of the House with valuable insights into the expectations and concerns of their constituents and the wider public. This will help guide their legislative actions and inform their decisions when the Bills are brought up for voting; provide feedback to members of the public who submitted memoranda, informing them whether and how their concerns have been addressed in the proposed amendments.
“The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to ensuring
broader participation by Nigerians and other critical stakeholders in the
ongoing process of amending the Constitution. To achieve this, we will be
embarking on zonal public hearings in 12 centers across the six geopolitical
zones in Nigeria.
“These hearings are designed to provide an open platform for citizens, civil
society organizations, professional bodies, traditional institutions, and
other interest groups to express their views and contribute meaningfully to
the constitutional reform process.
“The Zonal Public Hearings will hold in six centres of the three Geopolitical
Zones in the North from Friday, 11th July to Sunday, 13th July 2025, and in six
centres of the three Geopolitical Zones in the South from Friday, 18th to
Sunday, 20th July, 2025 while the National Public Hearing will hold on
Monday, July 21, 2025”.
Kalu encouraged the members of the public to download the compendium, review the proposed bills, and provide feedback to inform the legislative process.
“In conclusion, I call on all stakeholders and the general public to actively
participate in the zonal and national public hearings. Your contributions and
inputs are crucial to the success of this constitutional review process. We
encourage you to download the summarized compendium of the bills
from www.hccr.gov.ng review the proposals, and provide your feedback during the hearings. Together, we can create a more inclusive and effective
constitution that reflects the aspirations of our great nation”, the Deputy Speaker said.