Constitutes 20-member ad hoc committee to plan national summit on security Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The senate, yesterday, passed for second reading a bill seeking to mandate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government to prioritise locally manufactured automobiles in their procurement processes. The proposed legislation was titled, “A Bill For An Act To Make It Mandatory For Ministries, Departments, and Agencies To Give Priority To Local Automobile Manufacturers And Indigenous Companies In Procurement Process And For Related Matters, 2025.” The Local Automotive Industry Patronage Bill, 2025, was sponsored by Ndubueze Chiwuba (Imo North) and read for a second time during plenary on Thursday. The senate, also yesterday, constituted a 20-member committee to plan its proposed national summit on security as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s persistent security challenges. Leading the debate, Ndubueze decried Nigeria’s longstanding over-dependence on imported goods, especially automobiles, saying the practice has negatively impacted the naira and undermined local industries. He said, “We have failed to institutionalise the use of indigenous products, brands, and services in Nigeria and have, instead, glorified foreign goods of no particular superior quality. “Today we see the see-sawing of the naira and with every plunge, inflation bites harder.” The senator lamented that despite the issuance of 54 automobile manufacturing licences, only six companies were operational due to forex constraints and inadequate infrastructure. “Several automakers moved to nearby Ghana and are setting up assembly plants there with plans to export the vehicles to Nigeria,” he said. Ndubueze stressed the urgent need for a sustainable automobile policy that would institutionalise the use of Nigerian-made vehicles, especially in government. Supporting the sill, Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Mongunu, said the proposal would give legislative teeth to an earlier directive by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on prioritising local products. “This law will insulate the directive from the whims and caprices of subsequent administrations who may want to reverse it,” Mongunu stated. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin also endorsed the bill, saying its passage would “provide jobs for automobile engineers in the country and encourage more investors to move into the sector”. The bill was referred to Senate Committee on Public Procurement for further legislative input. The committee was to report back in four weeks. Meanwhile, the senate constituted a 20-member committee to plan its proposed national summit on security. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the composition of the committee during plenary after the senators supported it through voice votes. Akpabio said the committee would be chaired by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the senator for Ekiti Central Senatorial District, while Yahaya Abdullahi, representing Kebbi North, would serve as vice chairman. Other members of the committee were Ireti Kingibe (FCT), Adebule Idiat (Lagos), Barinada Mpigi (Rivers), Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa), Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo), Osita Ngwu (Enugu), Tahir Monguno (Borno), Titus Zam (Benue), Ahmed Lawan (Yobe), Abdulaziz Yar’adua (Katsina), and Gbenga Daniel (Ogun). Also on the committee were Austin Akobundu (Abia), Shehu Buba (Bauchi), Ahmed Madori (Jigawa), Emmanuel Udende (Benue), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Shuaib Salisu (Ogun), Isah Jibrin (Kogi), and Clerk of the Senate, Andrew Nwoba. The committee’s primary objective was to design the framework for the proposed national summit, including setting the agenda, identifying key discussion points, and proposing actionable strategies to effectively tackle Nigeria’s security problems. The senate president directed the committee to submit its report within two weeks.