Nigerian House Delegation Visits US to Boost Parliamentary Collaboration, Governance

Rebecca Ejifoma

A delegation from Nigeria’s 10th House of Representatives, Tuesday, visited the United States to strengthen collaboration and parliamentary engagement for improved governance in Nigeria.

Their six-day trip includes meetings at the US House of Representatives in Washington, the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and visits to Salt Lake City and Atlanta.

During the visit, the delegation engaged with the Heritage Foundation, a leading American conservative think tank known for shaping public policy based on principles like free enterprise, limited government, and strong national defense.

The Chairman of the Nigeria/US Parliamentary Friendship Group, Hon. Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, highlighted the Heritage Foundation’s role in providing research-driven solutions on issues such as education, inflation, border security, and election integrity in the US.

Onuakalusi acknowledged that Nigeria’s House of Assembly shares conservative philosophies with the Heritage Foundation, expressing a desire to see similar policies implemented in Nigeria through lawmakers’ constitutional duties.

He emphasized that a country’s laws shape its policy direction, and said the delegation’s goal was to exchange ideas on improving Nigerian governance through parliamentary collaboration.

Onuakalusi praised the Heritage Foundation’s 52 years of research and policy innovation, calling its work inspirational and suggesting Nigeria could learn from its example.

“We are here to learn and relearn from the first and oldest US think tank group,” he said.

The Nigerian delegation included minority leader Hon. O.K. (what does the O represent) Chinda, the South-South Caucus leader, Fredrick Agbedi, Hon. Aliyu Mustapha, and Barrister Sonnie Ekwowusi.