By Nnasom David

FCT, Abuja — The Tunani Initiative among other stakeholders have begun moves to develop a technology-enabled framework aimed at expanding citizens’ participation in Nigeria’s legislative process.

The advocacy was made known at a stakeholder validation meeting at CDD headquarters, Abuja on Monday, where the Tunani Initiative, presented a study.

The study, titled “Expanding Legislative Participation Through Technology-Enabled Public Hearing in Nigeria,” addressed challenges limiting citizens’ involvement in public hearings and lawmaking processes.

Speaking at the sidelines with Vanguard Newspapers, Executive Director of Tunani Initiative, Mairo Ibrahim, said the organisation recognised that legislative processes were often distant from ordinary Nigerians, making it difficult for many citizens to contribute to laws that affect their lives.

Ibrahim also said the study explored how technology and artificial intelligence can be deployed to make public hearings more inclusive.

She explained that the proposed framework would allow citizens, regardless of their location, to follow legislative proceedings and provide input on proposed bills before they become laws.

“Most Nigerians cannot even get into the National Assembly, and they cannot participate. We are asking: can we expand this legislative process with the support of technology and AI to make it more inclusive?” she said.

According to her, the goal is to ensure that laws are not passed without meaningful contributions from citizens, adding that public participation should go beyond mere consultation to allow Nigerians’ views to effectively feed into the legislative process.

Ibrahim disclosed that the organisation had developed a first draft of a policy brief, which was being reviewed by stakeholders to strengthen its recommendations before presenting it to relevant institutions, including the National Assembly.

She noted that the study considered Nigeria’s digital access gaps and would not rely solely on internet-based platforms, stressing that alternative channels such as radio broadcasts, SMS and USSD codes could help reach citizens in rural communities.

“Some places do not have internet coverage, and that is why we are imagining public hearings being broadcast on radio, where people can also contribute through USSD codes using basic mobile phones,” she said.

She added that the research would begin with possible entry points at state or federal levels before expanding nationwide.

Also speaking, Research Director of Tunani Initiative, Alhassan Pereira Ibrahim, said the research behind the policy brief examined Nigeria’s legislative framework, public hearing processes and international models from countries such as Taiwan and Brazil.

He said findings from the research revealed significant barriers affecting public participation, including limited access to legislative institutions, low public awareness of legislative procedures and trust gaps between citizens and lawmakers.

“We found that there are institutional barriers to participation, problems of trust between citizens and lawmakers, and issues around public understanding of how the legislative process works,” Ibrahim said.

He explained that lessons from Taiwan and Brazil showed that technology could be used to create platforms where citizens contribute ideas and opinions on proposed legislation.

According to him, Nigeria does not necessarily need expensive technology to improve participation, as existing tools such as digital platforms, SMS and other accessible technologies can be adapted to local realities.

A student of Nile University of Nigeria, Ezekiel Alabi, who participated in the stakeholder engagement, stressed the need for digital literacy among policymakers and institutions responsible for implementing technology-driven legislative reforms.

Alabi said policymakers, particularly within the National Assembly, would need adequate understanding of emerging technologies to effectively adopt and manage such platforms.

He added that solutions such as localised applications, SMS, USSD and radio integration could help ensure that citizens in underserved communities are not excluded.

A board member, Tunani Initiative, Omoniyi Lawson, said the proposed framework could serve as a bridge between citizens and lawmakers by creating wider opportunities for public involvement in governance.

Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that improving public participation in lawmaking would strengthen democracy and promote greater trust between citizens and government institutions.

The Tunani Initiative said it would continue consultations with relevant stakeholders before finalising the policy recommendations and presenting them to institutions responsible for legislative reforms.