The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) has initiated efforts to partner with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) on legislative reporting and deepen democratic accountability in Nigeria.
The proposal was made during a courtesy visit by the NGIJ delegation, led by its President, Malam Abdulrahman Aliagan, to the institute in Abuja on Thursday.
Aliagan described the engagement as a strategic step toward building synergy between investigative journalism and legislative research institutions.
“This visit is not merely ceremonial, it is deeply strategic. NGIJ and NILDS share a common vision of strengthening democracy, promoting accountability, and deepening good governance in Nigeria.
“While NILDS advances democratic governance through research and legislative capacity development, NGIJ complements these efforts through investigative journalism and public-interest reporting,’’ he said.
He noted that the guild’s activities across the country, particularly its Governance Assessment Visits conducted in Kogi, Bayelsa, Ondo, Kwara, Osun, and Kaduna states have improved public discourse and strengthened accountability at the subnational level.
“Our mission is to promote ethical investigative journalism, strengthen transparency in governance, and build capacity for data-driven reporting that connects citizens with democratic institutions,” he said.
The NGIJ president also proposed collaboration in areas such as training on legislative processes, joint research and publications, policy dialogues, data sharing, and fellowship programmes for journalists and researchers.
He further informed the institute of the guild’s plan to host the Dele Giwa Memorial Annual Lecture on Investigative Journalism in June as part of activities marking Democracy Day.
He also requested on behalf of the guild that the NILD’s Director-General Prof. Abubakar Suleiman serve as the keynote speaker, and sought approval to the use NILDS’ auditorium for the event.
“We are confident that your presence and intellectual contribution will greatly enrich the discourse and lend national significance to the event,” Aliagan added.
He commended the leadership of Prof. Suleiman for transforming NILDS into a leading centre for legislative studies and democratic governance in Africa.
In his response, the DG, represented by the Director of Legal Services, Prof. Ibrahim Danwanka welcomed the proposal and described the initiative as timely and beneficial to national development.
He explained that NILDS was established by an Act of Parliament in 2011 and later expanded in 2017 to include broader responsibilities covering democratic institutions and civil society organisations.
According to him, the Institute has grown significantly under Suleiman’s leadership, expanding from four departments to eleven, with increased staff strength and wider national, regional, and continental visibility.
“We currently provide research and capacity-building support, not only to Nigeria’s legislature, but also to parliaments across West Africa and other parts of the continent, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ghana, and Togo.
“Legislature is a specialised field. Even experts from other disciplines must acquire knowledge of its processes to report it accurately. That is where NILDS comes in,” he said.
He commended NGIJ for its commitment to accountability journalism and its recognition of the Institute’s growing impact.
“If there is any institution journalists need to collaborate with, it is NILDS. Legislative reporting requires specialised knowledge that many journalists currently lack.’’
He assured the NGIJ delegation that all requests presented during the visit would be communicated to the DG for necessary action.
“This engagement marks the beginning of a sustainable partnership that will advance legislative excellence and investigative journalism in Nigeria,” Danwanka said.
The meeting ended with both parties expressing optimism about establishing a formal framework for collaboration, with a shared commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and improving governance through knowledge-driven journalism.
Also in attendance were the Special Adviser to the DG on Media, Mr Muhammad Abdulkadir, who is also a member of the NGIJ Board of Trustees, and Mr Emmanuel Atakpo, Director of Information of NILDS.
