The Committee on Public Petitions of the National Assembly has reminded Nigerians of their constitutional right to seek redress by formally channeling their grievances to the legislature. Against the backdrop of growing concerns over the state of the economy, the committee has called on citizens to make use of its official platform to ensure their complaints are heard and addressed.
In a statement made available through its dedicated portal, the committee emphasized that many Nigerians continue to voice their frustrations only on social media and informal platforms, where such complaints often fail to reach policymakers. It noted that the National Assembly has established a structured process for citizens to submit petitions on matters of public interest, ranging from economic hardship to policy disputes, human rights issues, and other pressing concerns.
The Public Petitions Committee explained that its mandate is to serve as a bridge between the people and the legislature by carefully reviewing petitions, investigating claims, and recommending appropriate action. According to the committee, every petition submitted through the official website — nasspublicpetitions.org — will be given due consideration in line with the principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Economic challenges remain a dominant theme among public complaints, with inflation, rising cost of living, and unemployment continuing to weigh heavily on households. The committee stressed that such issues deserve structured engagement and that citizens can maximize their voices by formally petitioning the National Assembly rather than limiting their concerns to street protests or online expressions of anger.
Furthermore, the platform is designed to ensure inclusivity, allowing Nigerians from all walks of life — students, traders, civil servants, entrepreneurs, and community groups — to document their grievances in a manner that can prompt legislative debate and policy interventions. The committee also highlighted its record of past interventions, where public petitions led to investigations, reforms, and resolutions in sensitive cases.
By urging Nigerians to make use of this avenue, the committee reassured the public that petitions will not be ignored. Instead, they will be deliberated upon in plenary sessions, committees, and where necessary, escalated to executive agencies for immediate action. This process, it argued, strengthens democracy by ensuring that the voices of ordinary citizens influence governance decisions.
Ultimately, the Committee on Public Petitions is calling on Nigerians not to remain silent in the face of hardship but to embrace this structured channel as a way of holding leaders accountable and shaping policies that affect their daily lives. With a functioning petition system in place, the legislature insists that citizens now have a direct tool to make their concerns count in national decision-making.
