The Committee on Constitution Review of the House of Representatives held its Pre-Inaugural meeting on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at the National Assembly complex. The Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, delivered the opening address. He stated that the Committee was constituted by the Speaker and the House Leadership to guide and manage the achievements of reforms and amendments to the Constitution during this period of the 10th National Assembly and that it would be the sixth time that the National Assembly has embarked on amendments to the Nigerian Constitution. To this end, December 2025 has been set as the timeline to conclude the Constitution Review exercise. He noted that there are currently 40 Constitution Alteration bills at various stages of consideration before the 10th National Assembly.
He stated that The Constitution Review Committee was having its Pre-Inaugural meeting preparatory to its inauguration which date has been proposed for February 26, 2024. He added that ahead of the inauguration, actions that need to be undertaken include expediting commencement of preparations, constituting the secretariat for Constitution Review, appointing Consultants and drafting a Work Plan for the Committee.
The Deputy Speaker underscored that the nature of Nigeria’s Constitution and the history around how it was made and handed over to a new civilian government in 1999 makes it imperative for the National Assembly to continually revisit its provisions and work towards accomplishing a consensus on outstanding constitutional debates. He added that Constitution Review Committee was fully aware of the concerns of Nigerians on the need to finalise and conclude discussions around Nigeria’s Constitution.
He further stated that in the course of the Constitution Review exercise, the Committee will work with knowledgeable, experienced and respected consultants and experts across different subject areas. He added that the Committee, which is representative of the constituent parts of the country will prepare to work very hard and timeously to deliver on citizens’ expectations of concrete amendments in the shortest possible time.