The Senate on December 13, 2022, re-committed and passed the National Assembly Library Trust Fund Bill, 2022, which had been passed by the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate earlier last year. The bill is aimed at providing a legal framework on the management of a special intervention fund for the enhancement of the research skills and re-training of legislators and staff of the National Assembly, and the provision of state of the art library for the National Assembly. The National Assembly Trust Fund will be funded by take-off and special intervention fund provided by the Federal Government, money appropriated in the budget by the National Assembly for the purpose of this bill, as well as aids, grants, donations, endowments, gifts, resources, land or any other property from various sources, including money derived from investment made by the Trust Fund.
The bill establishes a Board of Trustees for the Trust Fund, which consists of the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, immediate past presiding officers of the National Assembly, Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Committees in both houses of the National Assembly charged with overseeing the Library and immediate past Chairmen of such Committees. Others include the Clerk of the National Assembly or his/her representative, representatives from international development partners, the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, the organised private sector, the Central Bank of Nigeria, one person appointed by the President of the Senate and another appointed by Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Executive Secretary appointed by the Board for the Trust Fund. The position of Chairman of the Board shall rotate between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives every two years from the inauguration of the Board.
The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and hold office for a single tenure of five years, not exceeding one year into the subsequent Assembly in which s/he was appointed.
The bill establishes an Implementation Committee responsible for implementing any project approved by the Board of Trustees. The Committee comprises the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chairmen of the Committees in the two houses charged with overseeing the National Assembly Library and such other members, not exceeding four, with proven integrity appointed by the Board.