Barau bags award for sponsoring 49 bills

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin. photo: Hussaini Ibrahim

The Senate Press Corps has voted the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, as the most outstanding occupant of the position since 1999, citing his sponsorship of 49 bills in the first 40 months of the 10th National Assembly.

The award, presented on Tuesday, was based on Barau’s legislative output, with five of the 49 bills already passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President.

The corps, comprising journalists who have covered the National Assembly since June 1999, also cited Barau’s experience as chairman of the Appropriations Committee in both the House of Representatives and the Senate at different times.

It noted that among the five Nigerians who had occupied the position since 1999, Barau was the only one to have served in that capacity in both chambers of the National Assembly.
His position as Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament was another factor that distinguished him from his predecessors.

According to the citation read at the award presentation, Barau facilitated the establishment of the North-West Development Commission, the Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, and the Federal Medical Centre, Gwarzo, Kano State, through his bill sponsorship.

The recognition comes amid his record of legislative activity since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on June 13, 2023.

In June 2026, The PUNCH reported that Barau had sponsored 42 bills in the first three years of the Senate, with five receiving presidential assent.

The bills covered areas including governance, education, healthcare, energy, the digital economy and constitutional amendments.

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A breakdown of the figures published in The Parliamentarian Magazine, a publication of the Deputy Senate President’s media office, showed that he sponsored 13 bills in 2023, nine in 2024, 17 in 2025 and three in 2026 within the period under review.

The five bills that had received presidential assent included the North-West Development Commission Bill, the National Identity Management Commission (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, the Agricultural Research Council (Amendment) Bill, the Federal Medical Centre, Gwarzo Establishment Bill and the Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo Establishment Bill.

Reacting to the award presentation, Barau expressed appreciation to the Senate Press Corps, saying the recognition would motivate him to do more for his constituents, the Senate and Nigerians.

He said, “I am truly grateful and deeply appreciate this gesture. This recognition will serve as a propeller, motivating me to do even more. As the popular saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected.

“By conferring this honour on me, you are not only acknowledging what I have done but also challenging me to do more.

“I want to assure you that I will not let you down. I will not let the Senate down, I will not let the National Assembly down, and I will not let the entire legislature or our country down.

“I promise to continue doing more for the development of the legislature and, indeed, for the advancement and overall development of our country.”