President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called on parliamentarians across the world to work in partnership, committed to peace, justice and shared responsibility.
Senator Akpabio made the call during his remarks at the 6th World Conference of speakers of parliaments, hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in collaboration with the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland.
He said, “As parliamentarians, let us commit to collaboration and the pursuit of solutions that transcend borders and partisan divides.”
The Senate President highlighted Nigeria’s legislative efforts in response to national and global challenges.
He said the Nigerian Senate is passing laws to address insecurity and improve trust, citing the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act and the Out-of-School Children Education Act as examples.
He also mentioned initiatives to tackle economic and technological gaps, including the Start-Up Act, the National Digital Strategy, credit access and digital training programmes aimed at youth empowerment.
Akpabio noted the importance of inclusive governance, pointing to legislation like the Not Too Young To Run Act and ongoing work to establish gender quotas.
He said, “Women and persons with disabilities are no longer on the margins. Inclusion, not exclusion, must be our standard.”
The Senate president also highlighted Nigeria’s approach to addressing poverty through education loans, vocational training, tax reforms and cash transfers, all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He urged the international community to view multilateralism not just as a concept but as a collective commitment to shared progress, adding that challenges such as armed conflict, climate issues and youth unrest require unified responses.
He said, “Multilateralism must not become rhetoric. It must rise as a movement of resolve. The Nigerian Parliament believes in international solidarity as a shared responsibility.”
Akpabio concluded by urging participants to remain focused on collaboration and collective problem-solving across borders.
