Agbese: 10th House Surpasses Legislative Agenda in Two Years

By Fatima Ndagi

Contrary to claims by critics, the 10th House of Representatives has outperformed its legislative agenda within just two years of its inauguration, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Philip Agbese, has said.
Agbese stated this while responding to a recent article by AdvoKC Foundation, which alleged that the 10th Assembly is failing to meet the targets of its four-year Legislative Agenda launched in June 2023.
He described the publication as “grossly underrepresenting” the achievements of the House, stressing that the lawmakers have delivered beyond expectation under the leadership of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, PhD, GCON, and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, PhD, CFR.
“This is not correct as we have surpassed the legislative agenda in less than two years. We welcome every form of assessment and most importantly appreciate critical ones like the above. Nevertheless, as a House peopled by intellectuals and led by academics like Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, it is only just that we set the records straight,” Agbese said.
The 10th House’s Legislative Agenda (2023–2027) is anchored on eight priorities: strengthening good governance, improving national security, law reform, economic growth, social sector reform, inclusion, open parliament, and environmental sustainability.
Agbese maintained that the House has not only met but surpassed these commitments in two years, citing unprecedented legislative output and reforms.
Between June 2023 and March 2025, the House introduced over 2,100 bills, passed 198, and secured presidential assent for several critical legislations. In its first session alone, 1,351 bills were introduced and 89 passed—matching records set by the 7th Assembly.
Key laws passed include the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act, Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, Cybercrime (Amendment) Act, Electricity Act (Amendment), National Anthem Act, the Federal Audit Service Bill, the N70,000 national minimum wage bill and the four tax bills amongst others.
The House also held 502 committee meetings, 57 oversight visits to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and 31 investigative hearings to promote accountability.
Beyond lawmaking, Agbese highlighted initiatives promoting inclusivity and transparency, particularly Speaker Abbas’s Open Parliament project. He noted that the House has hosted citizens’ townhalls on electoral reforms, youth summits, national dialogues on state policing, and retreats on major reforms such as the Petroleum Industry Act and tax modernization.
“Speaker Abbas has advanced the Open Parliament initiative, ensuring that every Nigerian has a say in the lawmaking process. His efforts have fostered inclusivity and strengthened public trust in our work,” he said.
He also noted that through the initiative of the leadership of the 10th House under Speaker Abbas the House as part of its social responsibility in March 2025 voluntarily donated half of their salaries for over six months, totalling N705 million, to support President Bola Tinubu’s relief programme for vulnerable Nigerians.
In the area of fiscal responsibility, Agbese revealed that the House allocated ₦6.11 trillion (11.1% of the 2025 budget) to the security sector, reflecting responsiveness to Nigeria’s pressing security challenges.
He further pointed to the ongoing Constitution Review exercise led by Deputy Speaker Kalu, which has included extensive citizen consultations across the country.
Significantly among the constitution review bills is the Reserved Seats for Women Bill. Agbese noted that the Speaker Abbas and the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, have both shown strong support for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill in Nigeria’s 10th House of Representatives.
While Benjamin Kalu is the sponsor of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill and has publicly assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will vote on the bill after the recess.
Both Leader Abbas and Deputy Kalu are seen as champions and key drivers of the bill, advocating for its passage as a way to correct historical gender imbalances in representation.
Their leadership on this legislative reform signals strong institutional backing at the highest levels of the House for promoting women’s inclusion in governance.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s persistent economic and security challenges, Agbese argued that the House has delivered on its mandate through impactful legislation, oversight, and engagement with citizens.
“We continue to act as The People’s House, leveraging bills, motions, and oversight to serve Nigerians diligently. Our performance should be measured not by idealistic benchmarks alone, but by the substantial, real-world progress achieved across all legislative fronts. While we remain open to scrutiny, we respectfully affirm that the 10th House of Representatives has not only fulfilled but in many respects exceeded expectations within less than two years,” he said.