When Excellence Speaks: Celebrating Kalu as Lawmaker of the Year
By Udora Orizu
Excellence does not always demand an introduction. Sometimes, it announces itself through consistency, impact and the unmistakable record of service. For the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu PhD, CFR, the recognition as lawmaker of the year by Daily Times Newspaper is a reflection of a legislative journey defined by purpose, performance and a commitment to the people.
In public service, recognition is often the reward for years of consistency, impact and commitment. For Rt. Hon Kalu, the confirmation of his selection as Lawmaker of the Year (House of Representatives) at the Daily Times Nigeria @100 Centenary Awards is a fitting recognition of a legislative journey defined by leadership, innovation and service.
The Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives has distinguished himself not only by the office he occupies, but by the depth of his engagement with legislation, constitutional reform, national development and the welfare of the people he represents.
Leadership of Daily Times Newspapers formally confirmed Kalu’s selection following an extensive nomination and public voting process. The confirmation was conveyed by the Chairman of Folio Media Group and Publisher of Daily Times, Chief Fidelis Anosike, who led a delegation to the Deputy Speaker’s office in Abuja to present the nomination and official invitation letters.
According to the organisation, Kalu emerged with the highest number of votes in the award category. The Times Heroes Award Council and other stakeholders subsequently confirmed his selection in recognition of his leadership, public service and contributions to national development.
The award ceremony is holding today, September 3 in Abuja, as part of activities marking the centenary celebration of the Daily Times of Nigeria.
The recognition comes against the backdrop of a remarkable legislative record.
In the 10th Assembly, Kalu has sponsored 134 bills, with five already enacted as Acts of the National Assembly. His legislative agenda cuts across some of the most critical areas of national development, including: Constitutional Alteration Bills; Justice Sector Reform, security Sector Bills; Education Bills, Professional Bodies Bills; Governance, Public Service and Institutional Reform Bills; Business Environment Reform, Productivity and Economic Growth Bills; Fiscal Reform and Economic Management Bills; Science, Technology and Innovation Bills; Agriculture Bills; Health Sector Bills; Regional Development Bills; and Treaties, Conventions and Protocols and infrastructure Bills.
This breadth reflects a legislative philosophy that recognises that national development cannot be achieved through a single-sector approach. From constitutional reform and justice to education, agriculture, security, healthcare, infrastructure and the economy, Kalu’s interventions demonstrate an effort to address the structural issues that shape the lives of Nigerians.
Kalu represents Bende Federal constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives. As a lawyer, legislator, peace advocate and scholar-practitioner his public-service career spans more than two decades.
His journey began at the grassroots as Chairman of Bende Local Government Area, after which he served as Executive Adviser to the Governor of Abia State on Millennium Development Goals and International Relations.
He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2019, where he quickly established himself as an effective communicator and parliamentarian. During the 9th Assembly, he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs and Spokesperson of the House.
In that role, he championed initiatives designed to bring the activities of the legislature closer to Nigerians, including the Green Chamber magazine, while managing the complex responsibility of communicating the work of the House to the public.
His transition from House spokesperson to Deputy Speaker in the 10th Assembly has further expanded his influence within Nigeria’s legislative architecture.
As Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Kalu occupies a pivotal position in one of the National Assembly’s most consequential assignments.
Constitutional review touches virtually every aspect of Nigeria’s democratic development, from representation and inclusion to justice, governance, devolution and the strengthening of democratic institutions.
Kalu’s involvement in this process places him at the centre of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s constitutional framework and make it more responsive to the aspirations of its citizens.
Beyond the domestic legislature, he has also represented Nigeria in important international parliamentary platforms. He serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget, while also participating in the Pan-African Parliament, the WTO Parliamentary Conference and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Kalu’s legislative work is complemented by a strong academic foundation. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Strategic Studies from the University of Abuja, an LL.M in Terrorism and International Humanitarian Law, with Distinction, from the University of Calabar, an MBA from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom, and an LL.B (Hons.) from the University of Calabar.
He has also undertaken executive programmes at institutions including Harvard Kennedy School, Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), John Cabot University, the University of Groningen and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
His scholarly interests have extended to climate adaptation policy, food security and security-sector reform in Africa — areas that complement his practical engagement with governance and public policy.
Kalu’s public-service philosophy extends beyond the floor of the National Assembly. His commitment to peacebuilding is reflected in the Peace in the South East Project (PISE-P), an initiative focused on dialogue, inclusion and non-kinetic approaches to addressing security challenges in Nigeria’s South East.
Through the Benjamin Kalu Foundation, his humanitarian interventions have also touched healthcare, education and empowerment, with attention to young people, women and persons with disabilities.
His private-sector experience across Africa, Europe and Australia has further exposed him to international business, commercial law, arbitration and development strategy.
That combination, law, business, public policy, diplomacy, humanitarian intervention and legislative practice has helped shape a leadership style that seeks to connect local representation with national and global responsibilities.
The Daily Times @100 Lawmaker of the Year recognition is therefore more than an award. It is an acknowledgement of a legislative record and the public visibility of a parliamentarian who has continued to position himself at the intersection of lawmaking, communication, institutional reform and national development.
The award also adds to a growing list of recognitions for Kalu’s public service. In recognition of his contribution to the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, conferred on him the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Yet, for the Deputy Speaker, recognition is not an endpoint. Responding to the Daily Times’ confirmation, Kalu expressed gratitude to the organisation for finding him worthy of the honour. He said the recognition would motivate him to do more for the people of Bende Federal Constituency, whom he represents, and for Nigerians generally.
That response perhaps captures the essence of the recognition. For a legislator, the ultimate measure of success is not the title attached to an office, nor the number of awards displayed on a shelf. It is the ability to translate responsibility into results, ideas into legislation and representation into meaningful impact.
As Daily Times marks 100 years of journalism and public service, its recognition of Benjamin Kalu as Lawmaker of the Year (House of Representatives) places a spotlight on a legislative career still in progress, one built on the belief that leadership must ultimately be measured by service.
*Orizu, SA Press Affairs to the Deputy Speaker writes from Abuja