The Senate on Thursday record progress on two major legislative proposals as lawmakers continue efforts to reform key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
One of the bills, the Equipment Leasing Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, successfully pass first reading alongside three other proposed laws during plenary.
Another bill seeking to repeal the Utility Charges Commission Act and establish a new National Utility Tariff Coordination Commission also scale second reading after receiving overwhelming support from senators.
Leading debate on the bill, the sponsor explain say the existing Utility Charges Commission Act was enacted at a time when most utility services for Nigeria were controlled directly by government institutions.
According to am, major reforms don take place over the years across sectors such as electricity, telecommunications, petroleum, transportation, water resources, postal services and consumer protection.
However, despite these reforms, tariff regulation still dey handled by different agencies without any central mechanism to harmonise policies and ensure coordination.
The proposed National Utility Tariff Coordination Commission go focus on improving transparency, strengthening data coordination, promoting consumer affordability, and encouraging cooperation among regulatory agencies.
The sponsor argue say the bill go modernise Nigeria’s legal framework and align tariff governance with current realities across utility sectors.
The motion for consideration of the bill was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West, while senators unanimously support the proposal before it was referred to the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service for further legislative work.
Senate Reaffirms Leadership Power on Arrest Warrants
During the same plenary session, senators also consider and adopt a motion moved by Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, reaffirming that only the Senate leadership has the constitutional authority to issue warrants of arrest against individuals who fail to honour invitations from Senate committees.
Contributing to the debate, lawmakers emphasise that both Senate rules and the Constitution recognise committee decisions only as recommendations subject to approval by the full Senate.
The Senate also take note of a personal explanation by Senator Kawu Sumaila of Kano South regarding the legal opinion issued by the Attorney General of the Federation on the proposed National Board for Arabic and Islamic Education Bill.
The developments form part of ongoing legislative efforts aimed at strengthening governance, regulatory oversight and institutional reforms across Nigeria.
