Kalu seeks Australia, Rwanda’s support on women’s representation, security, mining reforms

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has called for stronger international partnerships to advance women’s representation in governance, enhance security, and develop a resilient mining sector.”

He made the call in a statement by his Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, on Thursday in Abuja.

Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, made the appeal during separate meetings with delegations from the Australian and Rwandan Embassies in Nigeria.

The delegation was led by High Commissioner Leilani Bin-Juda of Australia and Ambassador Christophe Bazivamo of Rwanda, respectively.

Addressing the Australian delegation, Kalu highlighted Nigeria’s rich natural resource base.

He said that collaboration with Australia, known for its mining expertise, could help Nigeria adopt sustainable practices and attract foreign investment.

He also sought support for Nigeria’s ongoing constitution review process, particularly regarding gender equality and human rights.

“Our goal is to create an enabling environment that attracts foreign investment while ensuring local communities benefit from mining activities,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of constitutional reforms such as the Gender Bills, particularly HB.1349, which sought to reserve legislative seats for women.

Kalu also informed the delegation of ongoing discussions on the re-evaluation of capital punishment in Nigeria’s legal system, aiming to align policies with international human rights standards.

In his meeting with the Rwandan delegation, Kalu stressed the importance of inter-parliament.

Earlier, the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bin-Juda, highlighted Australia’s diverse interests in Nigeria, particularly in the areas of mining, trade, and investment.

“I love Nigeria. There are many areas of bilateral interest between our two countries,” she said.

“We held senior officials’ talks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January, which were extremely constructive.

“Many issues were discussed, especially in the mining sector. We are about to launch a project with the Minister of Mines and Steel in a couple of weeks.”

On his part, the Rwandan Ambassador to Nigeria, Bazivamo, said the purpose of their visit was to explore avenues for strengthening institutional linkages between the legislative bodies of both nations.

He said there was need for enhanced collaboration in areas such as legislative oversight, drafting, the application of innovation and technology in parliamentary functions, and the formation of a Nigeria-Rwanda Parliamentary Friendship Group.