Nigerian governors’ forum backs nation’s constitutional amendment

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has pledged its support for the ongoing amendment of the country’s constitution.

The forum, under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, made the commitment in a communiqué issued at the end of its 7th physical meeting on Wednesday night in Abuja.

Governor Uba Sani, who read the communiqué, said the governors discussed national issues, including constitutional amendments.

He said that the governors engaged Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and chairman of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), who provided insights into the ongoing amendment.

Mr Sani quoted the deputy speaker as emphasising the importance of collaboration between the forum and the committee, proposing the establishment of a “one-stop-shop” framework to align state-level priorities in the review process.

“Governors pledged their support for the initiative and reaffirmed their commitments to actively engage in shaping the amendments that will strengthen Nigeria’s constitution,’’ he said.

Mr Sani said the forum also engaged the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, on the strategies to reposition Nigeria’s education system for improved outcomes.

He added that the minister highlighted some challenges, such as the high rate of out-of-school children and poverty, particularly in the North-East and North-West zones.

“Key proposals discussed included strengthening collaboration between federal and state governments, improving the quality of girl-child education, integrating vocational training and leveraging data and technology to enhance educational management systems.

“The governors reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating with the Federal Government and development partners to address these challenges and align efforts toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4),’’ Mr Sani said.

Mr Sani also mentioned that discussions regarding tax reform were part of the meeting’s agenda but added that they were still consulting. In subsequent meetings, he expressed confidence that a consensus would be reached on the tax reform.

The governor further stated that the forum was collaborating with relevant security agencies to address the ongoing security challenges in the country.

“We are very confident that it is a matter of time before all these issues are resolved; all we appeal is for Nigerians to be patient,” he said.