Achi: African Parliaments Must Deepen Legislative Cooperation
* Côte d’Ivoire National Assembly President reaffirms commitment to CoSPAL, backs gender-responsive legislation
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, Hon. Patrick Achi, Friday called for stronger legislative cooperation among African parliaments, stressing the need for sustained parliamentary diplomacy to support the continent’s governance and development agenda.
Achi made the call in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to the Secretariat of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL), as part of his engagements in Nigeria.
The Ivorian parliamentary leader, according to a statement by CoSPAL, is in Abuja to participate in the Gender and Social Inclusion Summit 2026 (GS-26), and is expected to deliver the keynote address at the summit.
His visit to the CoSPAL Secretariat, the statement added, provided an opportunity for discussions on strengthening relations between Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly and the continental parliamentary body, as well as improving collaboration among African legislatures.
Achi, who assumed the leadership of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly in January 2026 at the commencement of the 2026–2030 legislative term, was received by the CoSPAL Secretary-General, Ambassador Dapo Oyewole, and senior members of the secretariat.
During the engagement, Oyewole briefed the Ivorian parliament president on CoSPAL’s strategic priorities, particularly its efforts to promote parliamentary diplomacy, legislative cooperation and partnerships in support of Africa’s governance and development objectives.
He also briefed Achi on the outcomes of CoSPAL’s 3rd General Assembly, held in Rabat, Morocco, in December 2025, as well as preparations for the organisation’s 4th General Assembly scheduled for Monrovia, Liberia, in December 2026.
But the central issue at the meeting was the need to deepen cooperation among African legislatures and make parliamentary diplomacy more effective in addressing challenges confronting the continent.
Achi, in reaffirming Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to CoSPAL, described the organisation as an important component of Africa’s legislative architecture.
He said: “CoSPAL occupies a vital place in the architecture of African legislative cooperation. I am pleased to reaffirm, on behalf of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, our full commitment to this important continental mission.”
The statement by the Ivorian parliamentary leader came against the backdrop of growing efforts by African legislatures to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and develop platforms through which lawmakers can exchange experiences, build institutional capacity and collectively respond to governance challenges.
The discussions also considered opportunities for closer collaboration between Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly and CoSPAL, particularly through capacity-building programmes and peer-learning platforms.
Another major issue considered during the engagement was the participation of women in legislative processes and the development of gender-responsive laws across African parliaments.
The meeting discussed the Gender Legislative Agenda, a joint initiative of CoSPAL and the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC), which is scheduled to be pre-launched at the GS-26 summit.
The initiative is expected to focus attention on strengthening gender-responsive legislation and promoting greater inclusion within Africa’s legislative institutions.
The Executive Director of PIC and Convener of the Gender and Social Inclusion Summit, Dr. Osasuyi Dirisu, who accompanied Achi to the CoSPAL Secretariat, explained the significance of the engagement.
She said: “We are delighted to welcome Rt. Hon. Patrick Achi to Abuja ahead of his keynote at GS-26. His presence and today’s engagement with CoSPAL underscore the growing recognition that gender-responsive governance is central to Africa’s legislative agenda.”
The discussions between Achi and Oyewole also explored avenues for increasing women’s participation in CoSPAL’s capacity-building initiatives and peer-learning platforms.
Oyewole said the engagement was important not merely as a courtesy visit but as an opportunity to examine areas of mutual interest and strengthen cooperation among African legislative institutions.
He said: “It is a distinct privilege to receive the Rt. Hon. Patrick Achi at our Secretariat today. Côte d’Ivoire has long been a valued and active member within the CoSPAL family and we had a rich and productive exchange on the priorities ahead.”
The CoSPAL Secretary-General also outlined the organisation’s plans ahead of its 4th General Assembly in Monrovia, where Speakers and Presidents of African legislatures are expected to deliberate on issues affecting legislative cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy on the continent.
The engagement was subsequently extended to Nigeria’s National Assembly, where Oyewole led the delegation to meet with the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere.
The delegation was received at the National Assembly as part of the broader engagement on legislative institutions and parliamentary cooperation between Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and other African countries.
The delegation also toured the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, providing an opportunity to examine aspects of Nigeria’s legislative institutional infrastructure.
The discussions between the Ivorian parliament leadership and CoSPAL came at a time when African legislatures are increasingly seeking stronger institutional platforms for sharing legislative experiences and addressing common governance challenges.
For Côte d’Ivoire, Achi’s reaffirmation of commitment to CoSPAL signals the willingness of the country’s National Assembly to remain engaged in continental legislative initiatives.
For CoSPAL, the engagement forms part of its continuing outreach to Speakers and Presidents of member parliaments, with the objective of strengthening relationships among African legislatures and expanding opportunities for parliamentary diplomacy, institutional development and peer learning.
Achi and Dirisu are expected to participate in subsequent activities of the Gender and Social Inclusion Summit, while the Ivorian parliamentary leader is also expected to feature prominently in discussions on the role of African legislatures in advancing inclusive governance.