By Gloria Ikibah
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has said that there is the need for a deeper partnership to strengthen inter-parliamentary relations between Nigerian and the European Parliament.
Speaker Abbas stated this when he received a delegation of the Committee on Foreign Afairs (AFET) of the European Parliament on a courtesy visit on Tuesday at the National Assembly Complex. 
Speaker Abbas who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, said there was the need for concrete action that reflects a true partnership of equals in solving shared challenges and building a prosperous future.
He appealed to the delegation to facilitate legislative exchange programmes where Nigerian and European parliamentarians can hold committee sessions, share best practices in legislative drafting, collaborate on thematic areas such as climate legislation, digital governance, trade policy, and democratic accountability.
Accordingto him, peer-to-peer learning, will strengthen both institutions.
Speaker Abbas also called for establishment of a Joint Parliamentary Committee dedicated to Nigeria-EU relations, to provide a structured platform for regular dialogue on legislative priorities, policy alignment, and mutual accountability on commitments made at executive levels.
He further commended the delegation for their work, saying that their efforts in strengthening trans-Atlantic and EU-Africa relations have not gone unnoticed.
He said, “It is with honour, respect, and pleasure that I welcome you to the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Welcome to Abuja, the seat of Nigeria’s democracy and the heart ofAfrica’s largest legislative institution.
“Distinguished Chair David McAllister, honourable members of AFET, this isnot my first engagement with the European Parliament. Indeed, thismoment brings to mind the high-level EU Parliament-Pan-African Parliament Roundtable held in Brussels, Belgium, during the European Public Diplomacy Week (EPDW) in June 2025: a landmark forum where I had the distinct privilege of leading a Nigerian and African delegation toengage European policymakers on the future of EU-Africa relations.The core of my message in Brussels was clear: The solution is not for Africans to migrate to Europe, but for European industry, technology, and capital to migrate to Africa. That principle remains the foundation of Nigeria’s vision for partnership, and it is in that spirit that we welcome you here today.
“We should consider upgrading the Nigeria-EU Dialogue Mechanism to include a parliamentary track, complementing the ministerial-level engagements with annual parliamentary consultations. This ensures thatlegislatures, the true representatives of the people, are at the center ofshaping and monitoring the partnership.Fourth, we should jointly convene thematic roundtables on critical issues such as the green transition, critical minerals governance and so on. These roundtables should involve not only parliamentarians but also technical staff, civil society, and the private sector, ensuring that legislative action is evidence-based and inclusive.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, David MacAllister, their mission was to deepen mutual understanding, explore new areas of collaboration, and reinforce political and economic ties between both sides.
