National Assembly Fails to Deliver on 68 Key Promises

As the 10th National Assembly approaches its final year, a recent assessment has revealed that lawmakers have fallen short of delivering on 68 out of 92 key legislative commitments made at the beginning of their tenure. The report, which was released by the civic-tech organisation AdvoKC Foundation, evaluated the performance of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in fulfilling promises outlined in their respective legislative agendas. According to the report, the House of Representatives achieved an overall fulfilment score of 26.8 per cent, while the Senate scored 44.11 per cent. The assessment was conducted through AdvoKC Foundation's Promise Tracker NG platform, which monitored 56 commitments made by the House of Representatives and 34 commitments made by the Senate across various sectors, including healthcare, education, economy, governance, security, and political reforms. The findings showed that the House of Representatives fulfilled 13 of its tracked commitments, with four classified as compromised and 39 as broken. On the other hand, the Senate delivered on nine commitments, with 12 considered compromised and 13 unfulfilled. The report highlighted that the House of Representatives performed best in the healthcare sector, scoring 67 per cent, followed by justice and security at 57 per cent. However, the chamber failed to deliver in the economy and jobs category, scoring zero per cent, while governance and political reform recorded a mere six per cent. The Senate, on the other hand, performed better in certain areas, recording 66.7 per cent in education and 57.1 per cent in economic development and jobs. The report also identified stalled reforms on constitutional amendments, youth inclusion, and local government autonomy as major areas of concern. Project Director of AdvoKC Foundation, Habib Sheidu, emphasised that legislative agendas represent binding commitments to citizens rather than mere political statements. Sheidu urged lawmakers to utilise the remaining year to complete outstanding reforms and improve their record before the end of the legislative cycle. 'Legislative agendas are not merely aspirational policy wish-lists; they are solemn public covenants made with the Nigerian people,' Sheidu said. The AdvoKC Foundation designed the Legislative Agenda Meter to provide citizens with a data-based mechanism for tracking legislative performance and holding elected representatives accountable. The organisation will continue to provide updated information on lawmakers' progress and has encouraged citizens, civil society groups, and the media to engage with the findings, which are available through the Promise Tracker NG platform.