One of the world’s premier parliamentary academic and research institutions, NILDS supports the sustenance of dynamic and effective legislature in Nigeria — at Federal, State and Local levels — and the ECOWAS sub-region.
One of the world’s premier academic and research institutions, NILDS supports the sustenance of dynamic and effective Legislature in Nigeria — at Federal, State and Local level — and the ECOWAS sub-region.
The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) is an organ of the National Assembly established by an Act of Parliament. President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the National Institute for Legislative Studies Act 2011 on March 2nd 2011 following the passage of the same by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In 2016, the Institute’s Governing Council approved the establishment of a new department of Democratic Studies as well as a Department for Post Graduate Studies. On January 26th, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the National Institute for Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act, 2017 — enabling the Institute to provide capacity development services to democratic institutions and governance in Nigeria.
To ensure the quality and effectiveness of laws, NILDS is actively involved in Legislative Drafting, Drafting of motions and Resolutions, Bill Analysis and Scrutiny, Support for committees and more.
The Institute recognizes that individuals respond to different teaching and learning styles. It adopts pedagogic approaches which enable participants to be actively involved in the learning process.
Through its training programmes, NILDS enhances the capacities of legislators and staff to become more effective in carrying out their mandate.
An important objective of NILDS is the dissemination of research output and designing or analysing policies that could be translated into legislation or imputed into the policymaking process.
LeCeSA is the peace and security research arm of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, under the National Assembly of Nigeria.
The state quiz state competition across the 36 states, scheduled for 29th September, 2026.
View eventCapacity building programme, 20TH – 22ND October 2026.
Capacity building programme, 20th -22nd October 2026.
Capacity building programme, 20th – 22nd October 2026.
Secondary schools across the federation are invited to enter the Institute's national civics quiz.
National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in collaboration with the European Union (EU), has concluded its secondary schools debate competition to commemorate the 2026 International Day…
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National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in collaboration with the Young Communicators Initiative, on Thursday hosted the Vision 2035 AI-Athon 2.0 Digital Leadership Workshop and Speech…
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The Director General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman has launched a three-month capacity development, entrepreneurship, and skills acquisition programme aimed…
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Four major sections — Technical, Reader Services, ICT and Archives — supporting your research and information needs.
Preserves and makes available to the public the historical records of the National Assembly and the research records of the Institute.
Open access to the Institute’s research output in digital form, including articles and the Institute’s publications.
A user-friendly digital platform providing access to the resources available in the library.
Through the development of its infrastructure the Institute targets to be an internationally recognized research outfit that facilitates the development and sustenance of dynamic and effective legislature and democracy in not only Nigeria but the sub-region and the entire African continent.
Watch video ▶Get in touch — we’d like to hear from you. At NILDS we’re passionate about your feedback and enquiries, and it shows in the level of service we provide. We’re more than happy to answer your questions and resolve any problems you may have.
No 2 Abubakar Sulaiman Avenue, Cadastral Zone COO, off Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway, Abuja.
Get directions ›Welcome to NILDS
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