The National Assembly Library is set to translate Nigerian laws into major indigenous languages, including Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, as part of efforts to make legislative information more accessible to citizens.

The Director-General of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Mr Nwawuba, disclosed this while outlining initiatives aimed at improving access to parliamentary records and legislative information.

Nwawuba described the library as more than a collection of books, noting that it serves as the “knowledge infrastructure of the legislature and a repository of parliamentary records.”

He said the library provides lawmakers, legislative aides, researchers and other stakeholders with authoritative parliamentary documents, including Order Papers, Votes and Proceedings, committee reports and Acts passed by the National Assembly.

According to him, the Trust Fund is investing in electronic repositories and upgrading its e-library, while also developing a National Assembly Library mobile application to improve access to legislative information.

Nwawuba said the library would also introduce a Bills Tracker to enable users to monitor bills and follow their progress through the legislative process.He added that infographics, audiovisual materials and video explainers were being developed to simplify bills, Acts and legislative procedures for Nigerians.

The planned translation of laws into local languages, he said, would broaden access to legislative information and help more citizens understand laws affecting their daily lives.

Nwawuba further disclosed plans to organise public policy dialogues to strengthen citizens’ participation in public hearings and create opportunities for interaction among legislators, citizens, researchers and other stakeholders.

He said the initiatives were also designed to address inconsistencies in official parliamentary documents and curb the circulation of fake or unauthorised copies of National Assembly records.

Speaking on the initiative, Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged lawmakers to make greater use of the National Assembly Library, particularly amid growing misinformation, disinformation and rapid developments in artificial intelligence.

Akpabio, represented by Senator Osita Ngwu, described the library as a critical link between evidence, knowledge and legislative decision-making.He called for sustained support for the development of the library and its digital services.