Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed his appreciation to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for signing into law eight bills of “far-reaching impact,” one of which is the National Social Investment Establishment Act, 2023.
Gbajabiamila, while commending the president for signing into law several bills since his assumption of office in 2019, said laws that impact the socio-economic and political growth of the nation have always been of priority to Buhari.
“The effect of these new laws on the generality of Nigerians cannot be overemphasised because, besides institutionalising due diligence, the implementation of these life-changing laws becomes a constitutional matter that can no longer be subjected to the whims of any individual,” a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, issued on Tuesday partly read.
The statement was titled ‘Gbajabiamila Lauds Buhari for Signing National Social Investment Establishment Bill into Law.’
Gbajabiamila expressed his excitement at the National Social Investment Establishment Act, which he said had the potential to bring governance closer to the grassroots.
The Speaker said his excitement stemmed from the fact that he sponsored the first of the National Social Investment Establishment Bills in 2020, where he proposed, amongst others, the need to establish the National Social Investment Coordinating Office to manage the implementation of the national social investment programmes aimed at alleviating poverty and improving human development indices and for the overall social development of Nigeria.
The statement recalled that the bill was passed by the House in April 2022 and forwarded to the Senate for concurrence.
The outgoing president had assented to bills establishing the National Social Investment Programme Agency and the National Senior Secondary Education Commission as well as six others passed by the National Assembly.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters – Senate, Senator Babajide Omoworare, the assent was in furtherance of the provisions of the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The statement was titled, ‘President Buhari Assents to the National Investment Programme Agency, National Senior Secondary Education Bills and Six Others.’
By signing its establishment bill into law, it legalises the National Social Investment Programme initiated by the outgoing regime, which was established to assist and empower the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria, and changes its name to National Social Investment Programme Agency.
“The objective of the Act is to provide a legal and institutional framework for the establishment and management of the National Social Investment in Nigeria,” the statement said.
