Nigeria’s National Assembly (parliament) has announced plans to institutionalise its Policy Analysis and Research Project (P.A.R.P) to provide training for legislators in Nigeria and other African nations.
Nigerian Senate President David Mark made the announcement in the capital city of Abuja Tuesday, during the signing ceremony of the second phase of the Grant Agreement between the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and Nigeria’s National Assembly.
“The National Assembly is planning to transform P.A.R.P into a legislative training and research institute. The expected constituencies of the institute will include the National Assembly, the 36 state legislatures in Nigeria, National and Regional Parliaments within and outside West Africa,” he said.
Mark said the fact that the first phase of the project achieved its set objective 100 percent informed the transition to the second phase.
He said in the first phase, which began in 2002, the executive board of ACBF approved a grant of US$2 million while the National Assembly provided US$1.324 million as its counterpart funds for the establishment of P.A.R.P.
But in the second phase, the ACBF will provide US$2 million while the National Assembly will provide US$10 million.
The ACBF, based in Harare, Zimbabwe, is an independent, capacity-building institution established 9 February 1991 through the collaborative efforts of three multilateral institutions — the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)) — as well as African governments and bilateral donors. Panapress.
