By Usman Aliyu
Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has called on world leaders and parliamentarians to move beyond dialogue and commit to courageous, action-oriented leadership in addressing global conflicts, poverty, insecurity, and exclusion.
Speaking recently at the 6th United Nations World Conference of Speakers in Geneva, Switzerland, Akpabio, who delivered a powerful address that resonated with urgency and hope, urged global legislators to act decisively for peace, justice, and prosperity.
“We must not simply convene, we must command. Let us build and bind our futures not only in treaties but in tenacity, and remain paragons of purpose,” he said.
Drawing from Nigeria’s difficult but resilient national experience, the senate president painted a vivid picture of a country that had battled adversity but continues to rise.
“I come from a nation that has endured the fire and risen from ashes. A nation that finds clarity in confusion and keeps sailing through storms and rough waters,” he said.
The former Akwa Ibom state governor warned that global crises, once considered distant, now have ripple effects across continents, especially with the interconnectedness of a globalised world.
“Conflict drowns out the voice of peace. War consumes not only homes, but the hopes of families. And while science surges, millions, especially in developing nations, remain trapped in cycles of fear and want,” he noted.
The Senate President challenged war-torn nations not to surrender to despair, highlighting Nigeria’s legislative resilience as a model for nations navigating similar challenges.
“We in the Nigerian Senate have chosen to legislate in the storm, reforming the foundations and leading with courage.
“We face armed conflict, climate disruption, youth disillusionment, terrorist exploits, property displacement, farmer-herder clashes, and small arms proliferation. They threaten our unity, but we are not defined by what we face, but by how we rise,” he said
Akpabio showcased Nigeria’s legislative strides toward national rebuilding, security, and economic inclusion.
“In parliament, we are legislating to secure the future,” he said, citing the passage of critical laws such as the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act, the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, and the Out-of-School Children’s Education Act.
He also noted efforts to empower Nigeria’s youth through the Startup Act, expanded credit access, digital skills training, and the country’s ambitious 10-year National Digital Strategy.
“We unlock potentials long caged by poverty,” he emphasised.
On inclusion, Akpabio reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring representation for all.
“The ‘Not Too Young to Run’ Act was a summons to our new generation. Women and children, persons with disabilities are no longer on the margin. Legislation is underway to institutionalise gender quotas because inclusion, not exclusion, must be our standard,” he said.
He listed ongoing poverty reduction strategies including education loans, vocational training, tax reforms, and targeted cash transfers to the most vulnerable households, all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Akpabio issued a rallying call for deeper international cooperation, urging multilateralism to be more than rhetoric.
“Multilateralism cannot become just a mere rhetoric. It must rise as a movement of results. For humanity is a single tapestry and when one corner is torn by conflict or injustice, the whole fabric is weakened,” he said.
He lauded the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for leading efforts in global solidarity, stating,
“We believe strongly in international solidarity as a shared resolve. This should be a collective responsibility,” he said.
Akpabio, however, charged fellow parliamentarians to act beyond partisanship and political boundaries.
“As parliamentarians, let us commit to collaboration and the courageous pursuit of solutions that transcend borders and partisan divide,” he said.
