The 2023 Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) Legislative Internship Programme commenced with an induction ceremony on October 4 and 5 in Abuja, with support from the European Union in Nigeria. In the course of the 10-week programme, forty-one (41) young persons between the ages of 21 and 35 who emerged successful from a rigorous and highly competitive recruitment exercise, will gain in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience of legislative processes at the National Assembly.
At the induction ceremony, Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director of PLAC delivered the welcome remarks while Laolu Olawumi, Programme Manager, Democracy and Rule of Law, European Union in Nigeria delivered goodwill remarks. The Clerk of the National Assembly was represented by the Acting Secretary of the National Assembly Human Rights Directorate, Birma Shuaibu Maina delivered the keynote address at the event.
Over the two-day induction, several speakers made presentations to the interns on a variety of subjects. Some of these presentations include ‘The Practice and Politics of Law Making’ by a former Member of the House of Representatives, Riwa Shawulu; ‘Understanding National Assembly Plenary Sessions and Committee Hearings’ by Deputy Clerk of the Senate, Ilobah Isabella; ‘From Passion to Action: The Role of Young People as Changemakers’ by former Co-ordinator of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Agianpe Onyema; ‘Understanding the National Assembly Work Environment: A practical guide for Current Interns by Past Interns’, among others. On Friday, October 6, the newly inducted interns went on a familiarisation tour of the National Assembly complex, where they will be working with Committees and Departments in the coming weeks.