The House of Representatives has kicked off a sweeping review of all bilateral and multilateral treaties, protocols, agreements, and foreign-assisted contracts signed by Nigeria, in a move aimed at protecting the country’s sovereignty and national assets.
The announcement came from the Chairman of the Committee on Treaties, Protocols & Agreements, Rabiu Yusuf, who briefed House Correspondents in Abuja.
The initiative aims to safeguard national interests and ensure that international commitments do not compromise the country’s sovereignty.
Rabiu stated that the process is intended to strengthen constitutional oversight, protect national assets, and mitigate financial, legal, or security risks linked to Nigeria’s international agreements.
“We have to stand as legislators to ensure checks and balances, as provided by the Constitution, by supervising and monitoring all agreements entered into on behalf of Nigeria.
“Our mandate is to examine all bilateral and multilateral treaties, protocols, agreements and foreign-funded contracts, and determine whether they protect or endanger our national interest,” Yusuf said.
The chairman stressed that the investigation is not political, but a necessary preventive and corrective measure.
“Nigeria cannot afford to enter into a treaty that weakens our legal authority, compromises national assets or burdens future generations with unsustainable liabilities,” he warned.
The review is also meant to ensure full compliance with Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires National Assembly approval and domestication of treaties before they become legally binding in Nigeria.
The committee warned that agencies or stakeholders failing to cooperate would face sanctions, citing Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to enforce compliance.
Nigeria’s engagement in international agreements has been robust across multiple fronts. In August, the federal government secured the return of Petrobras to Nigeria and signed agreements with Brazil focused on boosting trade and energy collaboration, marking one of the high‑profile foreign arrangements aimed at strengthening ties and investment in the energy sector.
Meanwhile, a high‑profile tax cooperation memorandum of understanding signed between the Federal Inland Revenue Service and France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques has become a focal point in national debate, with critics and civil society calling for greater transparency and raising questions about data sovereignty and the implications of foreign technical assistance in tax administration.