National Assembly launches radio station to promote legislative activities, public engagement

The National Assembly, in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has launched a new radio station in Abuja called “Democracy Radio.”

The purpose of the station is to promote and disseminate information about the legislative activities to the public. In anticipation of its official commissioning on Wednesday, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director General of NILDS, led reporters on a tour of the station’s facilities located in Asokoro, Abuja.

During the tour, Professor Sulaiman revealed that alongside the radio station, a newly established Legislative Centre for Security Analysis has also been established at the premises.

He also shared the institute’s plans to upgrade NILDS into a fully-fledged university, stating that the institute’s permanent site, spanning over 8.12 hectares in the Piwoyi District along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in Abuja, possesses remarkable infrastructure and facilities comparable to those of licensed private universities in the country.

Professor Sulaiman expressed confidence in the readiness of NILDS to transition into a university for legislative studies, stating that all the necessary prerequisites for a university are already available at the institute. He further disclosed that the permanent site of NILDS, which will be commissioned soon, will initially house the Administrative and Finance departments, with the Library and Postgraduate Units joining later.

Explaining the purpose of Democracy Radio, Professor Sulaiman emphasized its role as an independent entity designed to educate Nigerians on legislative procedures, practices, and democracy in general.

He said: “Democracy Radio as envisioned is to serve as a nexus between parliament and the people and practically serves as a disseminating unit to Nigerians about Democracy.

“The Radio station is going to be on its own, operationally. It will not be a quasi-establishment. When fully operational after commissioning, it will have more information than any other Radio station in Nigeria going by the resources and facilities that will be at the disposal of management and staff, one of which is the standardized website already provided for it.”