Senator Shehu Lawan Kaka, representing Borno Central Senatorial District, has advocated for a comprehensive review of Nigerian laws, emphasizing that such a revision has not occurred in the past 19 years. During a debated motion on Tuesday in the upper legislative chamber, Senator Kaka proposed the necessity of updating and organizing the laws alphabetically for convenient reference, particularly those currently in effect in Nigeria.
In underscoring the authority of lawmakers in approving the Office of the Attorney-General to undertake the review of Nigerian laws, Senator Kaka highlighted the prolonged delay in this essential process. He drew attention to the last revision in 2004, which was approved through the “Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Act, 2007,” superseding the previous “Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990).”
Expressing concern that the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria from 2004 had not undergone revision for nineteen years, Senator Kaka noted that numerous laws enacted in Nigeria since January 1, 2003, remained excluded from the compilation.
Senators expressed support for the motion, unanimously acknowledging the responsibility of the National Assembly to conduct a thorough review. Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio endorsed the motion, directing the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters to promptly collaborate with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to initiate the process of revising the laws.