House of Representatives to hold national public hearing on constitution review September 22

The House of Representatives has scheduled 22 September for a national public hearing on proposed changes to Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

The event, originally planned for 21 July, was postponed following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued on Friday, Akin Rotimi, the House spokesperson, urged Nigerians and stakeholders to take part actively in the session, which will be held in Abuja.

“This national forum will consolidate citizens’ contributions ahead of legislative voting on the Constitution Review Bills,” the statement read.

“It demonstrates the House’s commitment to inclusive and participatory governance, ensuring that Nigerians have a direct platform to shape constitutional reforms.”

86 bills up for discussion

The House has encouraged Nigerians to study the collection of 86 constitution review bills, which are available online at bit.ly/HCCRCompendium. The website includes explanatory notes to help people understand the proposed changes and guide their contributions.

Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, described the 1999 Constitution as a document that belongs to the people and must reflect citizens’ hopes and aspirations.

“I urge citizens and stakeholders to participate fully in the national public hearing and make their voices count, because only through your contributions can we achieve a truly participatory and people-driven constitutional review,” Kalu said.

The House previously held a regional public hearing in July to gather input from different parts of the country.

Tight timeline for approval

Following the national hearing, voting on the constitution review bills is scheduled to take place on 14 October in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

After parliamentary approval, the bills will be sent to state assemblies by 30 October for their agreement, as required by the constitution amendment process.

Constitutional amendments in Nigeria require approval from two-thirds of both chambers of the National Assembly, followed by approval from at least two-thirds of the country’s 36 state assemblies.