Ever wondered about the inner workings of the House of Representatives in Nigeria? As a citizen, it’s important to understand this key part of your government.
The House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the National Assembly of Nigeria, the other being the Senate. The lower chamber of Nigeria’s bicameral National Assembly is the House of Representatives (commonly known as the Green Chamber). The upper chamber is the Senate. The Green Chamber has 360 members who are elected using the plurality (or first-past-the-post) system in single-member constituencies.
The House of Representatives plays a crucial role in shaping the laws and policies of Nigeria. Read on to learn more about how members are elected, the full list of Members, its key powers and responsibilities, and how it impacts you as a citizen.
Composition and Membership in the House of Representatives of Nigeria
The House of Representatives has 360 members; these members are elected through direct votes in each state. To qualify as a representative, you must be a Nigerian citizen, at least 30 years old, has at least an O’level result, is a member of a political party, and is a registered voter.
The House aims to represent the diversity of the Nigerian people. Members come from various ethnic, religious, and professional backgrounds. However, there are currently only 14 female representatives, showing a need for better representation of women. The two dominant political parties are the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
With its large and diverse membership, the House of Representatives seeks to promote the common good of all Nigerians. However, more work is still needed to strengthen its effectiveness and truly represent the interests of citizens from all walks of life. Overall, the House plays an essential role in Nigeria’s representative democracy.
The Leadership and Structure of the House of Representatives of Nigeria
The House of Representatives has a clear leadership and organizational structure to effectively carry out its duties.
The Speaker, Deputy Speaker and eight Principal Officers. Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Minority Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip are among the positions.
Because the Green Chamber also uses the Committee System of the Legislature, the House’s 360 members are divided into many Special and Standing Committees depending on their professional, educational, and other experiences. Chairmen preside over the Committees, who are aided by Vice Chairmen and other Committee Members. The Committees carry out legislative tasks on behalf of the Chamber and report their findings and recommendations to the full House for ultimate approval.
Speaker of the House
The Speaker is the presiding officer and administrative head of the House. They are elected from among the members to serve as the chief spokesperson for the House. The Speaker maintains order in the House and interprets rules and regulations.
Deputy Speaker
The Deputy Speaker acts in the absence of the Speaker and assists the Speaker in presiding over the House. They are also elected from among the members.
Majority Leader
The Majority Leader is the leader of the party with the majority of members in the House. They help schedule legislative business and direct the legislative priorities of the majority party.
Minority Leader
The Minority Leader leads the party with the second-highest number of members. They serve as the main opposition to the majority party and voice the views and positions of the minority party.
Committees
The House has several committees focused on key areas like finance, agriculture, education, etc. Committee members review bills and make recommendations to the whole House. Committee chairs and vice-chairs are elected by committee members.
The leadership and committee structure allows the House of Representatives to operate efficiently while providing checks and balances. The roles and responsibilities are divided to specialize in key functions, enabling effective lawmaking and oversight.
Legislative Powers and Responsibilities of the House of Representatives of Nigeria
The House of Representatives has several key legislative powers and responsibilities. As the lower chamber of Nigeria’s bicameral National Assembly, the House of Representatives proposes and considers legislation on any matter except those that the Constitution reserves exclusively for the Senate.
Some of the major legislative powers and responsibilities of the House of Representatives include:
- Initiating revenue bills. The House has the power to initiate bills on taxation, public funds, and financial accountability of revenue-generating agencies.
- Approving treaties. The House must approve treaties and international agreements negotiated by the executive before they can be ratified.
- Oversight of government agencies. The House conducts oversight into the activities of government agencies and ministries to prevent abuse of power and ensure accountability.
- Impeaching officials. The House has the power to impeach the President, Vice President, governors, and other public officials to check abuse of office.
- Approving appointments. The approval of the House is required for appointments to certain public offices like ministerial positions, ambassadorial appointments, and heads of government agencies.
- Representing constituents. Members of the House represent their constituencies and local interests in the National Assembly. They sponsor bills and motions to address issues affecting their constituencies.
- Making laws. The primary responsibility of the House is to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of Nigeria. The House considers and passes bills to address various issues.
- Checking the executive. Through oversight and approval powers, the House prevents abuse of power and ensures accountability in the executive arm of government.
- Approving budget. The annual budget proposal submitted by the executive must be approved by the House before it can be implemented.
- Confirming appointments. Certain public appointments by the executive require the confirmation of the House.
To summarize, the House of Representatives as an institution safeguards democracy and good governance in Nigeria through its oversight functions over the executive arm of government.
How Bills Become Laws in the House of Representatives of Nigeria
To become law, bills in the House of Representatives go through several stages.
- Presentation and first reading;
- Second reading;
- Committee stage;
- Third Reading and Passage; and finally
- Assent by the President.
First, a bill is introduced by a member and read for the first time. It is then referred to the appropriate committee for review. If approved, the bill goes to the Committee of the Whole House, where members debate and vote on it.
If passed, the bill goes for a second reading and debate. Members can propose amendments to the bill at this stage. If amendments are made, the bill goes back to the Committee of the Whole House for approval.
Once the bill is approved with any amendments, it proceeds to a third reading and final vote. If a majority of members vote in favor, the bill is passed. It then goes to the Senate, where the same process is followed.
If the Senate also passes the bill, it is sent to the President, who can sign it into law or veto it. When or If signed, the bill becomes an Act of the National Assembly. If vetoed, the National Assembly can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers, and the bill still becomes law.
This step-by-step legislative process, with multiple stages of debate and voting, helps ensure that any bill that becomes law has been rigorously scrutinized and has the broad support of members. By passing through both chambers of the National Assembly, bills also reflect the will of all elected representatives from across the country.
List of Members of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, 2023–2027
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the bicameral legislature of Nigeria, the National Assembly. The House has 360 elected members, with each member representing a single-member constituency. Members are elected for four-year terms with no term limits.
The House of Representatives has been dominated by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) since the transition to democracy in 1999. The All Progressives Congress (APC) won a majority in the House for the first time in the 2015 elections. The All Progressives Congress gained 162 seats in the lower legislative chamber, the Peoples Democratic Party 102 seats, the Labour Party 34 seats, the NNPP 18 seats, APGA four seats, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party each have two seats, and the YPP has one seat. Here’s a PDF of the full list of Members of the House of Representatives in Nigeria.
Members of the 10th House of Representatives, elected in 2023, include:
The House of Representatives, along with the Senate, makes up an essential component of Nigeria’s legislature, helping draft and shape laws that impact all Nigerians. The House aims to give citizens from all over the diverse country a voice in government.
Conclusion
So there you have it. The House of Representatives is an important institution in Nigeria’s democratic government. Its members are elected from districts across the country to represent citizens’ interests.
The House has significant powers to make and shape laws. But with those powers come major responsibilities. Representatives have to show up and participate, listen to people in their districts, understand the issues, and make tough choices on legislation. It’s not an easy job, but for democracy to work, it requires people from all walks of life to step up to the plate.
Next time there’s an election, make sure to research the candidates and vote for someone who will take the role of representative seriously and fight for the things that matter to you. Your vote and voice can make a difference.