…rep to train lawmakers on public debt, borrowing oversight
By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has disclosed plans to strengthen the capacity of its members on effective oversight of public debt and borrowing. 
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Rep. Bamidele Salam, made this known at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
Rep. Salam explained that the training would be held during the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC), scheduled for 8–12 September 2025 at the National Assembly.
According to him, the five-day conference will provide lawmakers with the tools needed to monitor and manage public debt more effectively.
He said: “The event will focus on building the capacity of PACs and Finance Committees for effective oversight of public debt and borrowing; examining debt trends and risks in the region; defining parliamentary roles in debt governance; and developing strategies to ensure debt sustainability.
“This conference provides a robust platform for learning, engagement, and experience-sharing among committees and key stakeholders. It will help advance fiscal responsibility and transparency across the sub-region”.
Rep. Bamidele Salam also confirmed that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, will formally open the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC). The Minister of Finance is billed to deliver the keynote address, with several high-level dignitaries expected, including the Chairpersons of WAAPAC and AFROPAC. Goodwill messages will also come from the UNDP Country Director, global development partners, and sister parliamentary organisations.
Salam called on the Nigerian media to give the event wide coverage, describing it as “an opportunity to showcase Nigeria as host of one of the most important parliamentary accountability conferences in Africa.”
The conference, set for 8–12 September 2025 at the National Assembly, is expected to pave the way for stronger legislative oversight and more sustainable debt management practices across West Africa.
A statement from the WAAPAC Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, noted that the association was founded in 2009 after a World Bank Institute seminar organised with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the Parliamentary Centre (PC). Legislatures from Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone participated in that inaugural meeting, resolving to establish a sub-regional body dedicated to strengthening parliamentary accountability through peer learning and knowledge sharing.
This year’s conference, themed “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Debt: The Role of Finance and Public Accounts Committees”, is expected to draw over 300 participants. Among them will be lawmakers, auditors, fiscal policy experts, and public finance professionals from across West Africa and beyond.
The General Assembly will also deliberate on WAAPAC’s organisational growth and governance, with proceedings expected to end with the adoption of country-specific action plans to improve parliamentary oversight of public debt in the region.
Delegates will include members of Public Accounts and Finance Committees, parliamentary staff, Auditors-General, and representatives from eSwatini, Kenya, South Africa, and allied parliamentary networks such as AFROPAC and SADCOPAC.
