By Johnson Momodu
In lawmaking, precision is not decoration; it is destiny. A poorly drafted statute does not merely confuse—it misgoverns, invites litigation, and erodes public trust in institutions meant to provide clarity and order.
In this sense, legislative drafting is not a backstage function of governance. It is its spine.
For Kamoru Ogunlana, Esq.—a lawyer by training and Clerk to the National Assembly since his appointment took effect on 2 February 2025—this understanding has shaped his first year in office. He has repeatedly described the Office of the Clerk as the engine room of Nigeria’s legislative system, entrusted with safeguarding the integrity of the lawmaking process.
While public attention has understandably focused on institutional reforms, staff welfare, and administrative restructuring, a quieter but equally consequential shift has been unfolding in the technical heart of legislation itself.
Ogunlana’s legal background brings with it a keen awareness of the downstream consequences of weak drafting. Laws that are ambiguous or internally inconsistent rarely fail at the point of passage; they fail later—in courtrooms, in regulatory confusion, and in uneven or contested implementation.
His approach treats legislative drafting not as a routine clerical exercise, but as a discipline that demands rigour, method, and accountability. In March 2025, he strongly advocated the development of a dedicated legislative drafting manual for the National Assembly, describing it as essential to improving the quality, coherence, and consistency of legislation.
This philosophy is reflected—indirectly but unmistakably—in the ongoing review of the National Assembly Service Act. By promoting merit-based qualifications for appointments across the Service, including positions that influence drafting and committee work, the reform seeks to professionalise the ecosystem from which laws emerge.
When competence and specialised experience become the standard, the quality of bills, reports, and resolutions improves by design rather than by chance.
Capacity building has reinforced this logic. Within the year under review, over 4,200 staff and legislative aides underwent training, including targeted programmes that strengthened legal writing, statutory interpretation, and compliance with constitutional and regulatory frameworks.
These efforts extend to workshops and internship programmes—such as those supported by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre—where participants gain practical exposure to parliamentary procedures, effective debate, and legislative drafting techniques. Such interventions may not attract headlines, but they often determine whether a bill withstands scrutiny or collapses under it.
Operational reforms have also played a supporting role. The standardisation of financial administration and more equitable allocation of resources have ensured that technical departments are no longer constrained by avoidable bottlenecks. Research and drafting thrive in environments where access to tools, data, and institutional support is predictable.
Seen through this lens, the renovation of the old Library building and its planned handover to the National Assembly Budget and Research Office is not an afterthought. It is an investment in the intellectual infrastructure of lawmaking.
That said, the limits of analogue systems remain evident. The digitalisation of legislative processes—an area Ogunlana has acknowledged as long overdue—will define the next phase of reform. Modern drafting requires tools that track amendments in real time, cross-reference statutes accurately, and ensure consistency across complex legislative texts.
Without these systems, even the most skilled drafters are forced to work against the grain of contemporary governance.
What emerges from this first year is a subtle but important reorientation. Legislative drafting is being reclaimed as a core democratic function rather than a procedural chore. The emphasis is not on speed, but on soundness; not on volume, but on validity.
Ultimately, the success of this approach will not be measured in applause or headlines. It will be measured in laws that are clear, coherent, and durable—laws that do what they say, laws that withstand scrutiny, and laws that remind citizens that governance, at its best, begins with words carefully chosen and responsibly arranged.
Johnson Momodu is a political analyst based in Benin.
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