The 10th House of Representatives has released its six-point legislative agenda for the 10th Assembly to drive progress, prosperity and inclusivity across the country.

Rep. Julius Ihonvbere, the House Leader and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda, announced the agenda on Monday in Abuja.

He listed the agenda as economic empowerment and diversification, infrastructure development, education and human capital development.

Others include healthcare for all; transparent governance, accountability, and the security and safety of persons and property, as well as economic empowerment and diversification. 

Ihonvbere said the agenda, being the vision of the 10th Assembly, would be the fulcrum upon which the 10th Legislature’s operation would be based.

He said one of the House’s foremost goals would be to drive economic empowerment and diversification, adding that Nigeria’s over-reliance on oil exports had left the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil prices.

According to him, to mitigate this risk and build a sustainable economy, they would incentivize investments in non-oil sectors such as agriculture, technology and renewable energy.

He said, “In the agriculture sector, we will pass legislation to modernise farming practices, improve access to credit for farmers, and support agricultural research and development.” 

He said the Green Chamber would explore opportunities in agro-processing to add value to the country’s agricultural produce and create more jobs.

He said, “In the technology and innovation space, we will foster an environment that encourages start-ups, nurtures innovation hubs, and incentivizes research and development”.

He said the aim was to position Nigeria as a technology powerhouse, leveraging her young and dynamic population to drive innovation and digital transformation.

He said the agenda was to prioritise renewable energy projects to reduce the country’s carbon footprint, improve energy security and create jobs in the renewable energy sector.

This, according to him, will be done by embracing renewable energy, which would not only protect the environment but also open up new investment opportunities.

“Our overall goals are job creation, higher foreign exchange earnings, new skills development, diversification of exports and strengthening and deepening our technological foundations,” he explained.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some of the stakeholders that contributed to the agenda are the Nigerians Union of Teachers, Nigerian Metallurgical Society and the Federal Ministry of Health. 

Punch