Programme Manager,
Media Rights Agenda
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has issued a 24-page advocacy toolkit for civil society organisations titled “A Guide to Conducting Legislative Advocacy at the National Assembly”.
The toolkit seeks to galvanise civil society actors and empower them to engage in policy advocacy, beginning with their understanding of the National Assembly, the legislative process, strategies and actions that work. It was developed as a practical working tool for civil society organisations seeking to carry out legislative advocacy.
The publication aims to provide practical information that can galvanise and empower civil society for policy advocacy by examining the National Assembly and the legislative bodies within – the Senate and House of Representatives; providing information on the legislative powers of the National Assembly; explaining the legislative process at the National Assembly; examining opportunities for engagement; and providing information on strategies and actions that lead to effective engagement of the National Assembly.
The publication highlights that legislative advocacy can be crucial in efforts to create change and although there are other government agencies, processes and players that create policies and regulations, the most significant and powerful actor in Nigeria’s policy landscape is the National Assembly, Nigeria’s parliament and legislative arm of government.
It emphasises the power of the National Assembly to make and repeal laws and influence policy decisions and direction politically and economically. It also lists the relevant committees in the National Assembly that hold strategic power to influence policies and legislation which altogether make the National Assembly the most important actor to target for legislative advocacy and efforts to ensure the adoption of frameworks, particularly those which promote and protect human rights online.
The Guide also contains general rules and practical steps for effective legislative advocacy as well as a test to be taken before and after using it to assess the reader’s knowledge of legislative advocacy.
Although the primary target of the guide is civil society organisations, the guide is potentially useful to anyone who wishes to engage in legislative advocacy at the National Assembly.
The guide was published by Media Rights Agenda in partnership with Global Partners Digital in London, United Kingdom, and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor as part of activities at the national level of Phase II of the Global Internet Freedom Program.
The Global Internet Freedom Program is a project aimed at promoting Internet freedom by empowering civil society organisations in the Global South to advocate for a human rights-based Internet policy environment at the national, regional, and global levels.
