Akpabio leads Nigeria's delegation to 148th Assembly of IPU

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has led Nigeria’s delegation to the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, Switzerland. Nigeria’s contingent arrived in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday.

A statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Senate President, Jackson Udom, indicated that Akpabio was accompanied on the trip by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong.

According to the statement, the Senate President and his entourage were received on arrival by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Abiodun Richards Adejola, accompanied by South African Ambassador to Switzerland, Mr. Mxolisi Nkosi.

It explained further that this year’s edition would hold from March 23 to 27, 2024.

At the last edition of the IPU held in Luanda, Angola, Nigeria broke a 59-year-old jinx when Akpabio was elected into the Executive Committee of the global parliamentary body. The last time Nigeria had the privilege to be in the Executive Committee of IPU was in 1964.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), global organisation of national parliaments, was founded in 1889, and dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue. It has grown into a truly global organisation with 179-member countries out of 193 countries of the world.

Akpabio was also on March 7, 2024, nominated by the African Parliamentary Union (APU) into the Preparatory Committee for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament of the IPU.

The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world.