On Wednesday, 7 June 2023, the 9^th House of Representatives held its valedictory session to mark the end of its legislative session which commenced on Tuesday, 9 June 2019.

As the session commenced, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila admitted into the Chambers, former Presiding Officers, former Principal Officers and former Clerks of the House of Representatives and acknowledged their significant contributions to the National Assembly.

In his valedictory speech, Hon. Gbajabiamila expressed his gratitude, first to his constituents and then lawmakers for their support and commitment while he served as the Speaker noting that his success can only be attributed to the courage and determination of Members of the 9^th House of Representatives towards nation-building.

According to the Speaker, the 9^th House of Representatives has worked to ensure that Nigeria achieves economic, social, and political transformations that benefitted citizens by introducing legislations that addresses numerous challenges within various sectors. For instance, he cited the implementation of January to December budget cycle that ended policy instability and economic uncertainty created by irregular budgeting practices.

Other notable legislations by the 9^th House of Representatives was the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2022 and the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, 2019 which the Speaker mentioned were aimed at optimizing the functions of the oil and gas sector.

Speaking on reforms within the security sector, the Speaker mentioned the passage of the Police Act which established the Police Complaints Units as a statutory organ accessible to the public for reporting cases of police misconduct. In addition, he stated that the 9^th House of Representatives worked with the the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to establish a new framework of accountability to hold erring members of the Police Force to account for their conduct; appropriated the sum of Five Hundred Million Naira through the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to compensate victims of police brutality nationwide; and convened a National Security Summit to examine Nigeria’s national security and defence infrastructure.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, the Speaker acknowledged the effort of the House of Representatives in responding to this global health crisis by highlighting measures taken to protect the lives of citizens to include:

1. The passage of the Emergency Economic Stimulus Bill, 2020
2. The passage of the Emergency Relief and Assistance Bill, 2020
3. The establishment of a health facility in the FCT under the management of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
4. The consideration of the Infectious Disease Bill, 2020

On the legislative legacy of the 9^th House of Representatives, the Speaker commended the efforts of Members towards the passage of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, the Nigeria Start-Up Act, 2022, the Electoral Act, 2022 and 35 Constitution Alteration Bills out of which 16 were assented by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In conclusion, the Speaker expressed his appreciation to stakeholders specifically Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), the NBA and Korand Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) for its immense contribution and support, describing these stakeholders as “worthy partners in progress”.  He further expressed optimism that the House of Representatives and the National Assembly will continue to work towards peace, prosperity, equity, and justice irrespective of tribe and tongue, religion and creed.

Following the end of the valedictory session, the Speaker of the 9^th House of Representative, declared closed, the 4^th legislative session and adjourned plenary sine dine