The House of Representatives has resolved to fast-track the passage of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment) Bill, 2026 (HB. 2817) by committing the legislation directly to the Committee of the Whole for swift reconsideration.
The decision followed a motion presented on the floor of the House by Hon. Bello Isah Ambarura, citing provisions under Order Twelve (12), Rule 16(d) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.
Under these procedural rules, the House is empowered to re-gazette and reconsider bills that were passed by a preceding Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent, but whose status—whether assented to or withheld—was not officially communicated before the dissolution of the previous tenure.
Having fulfilled the re-gazetting process and undergone its first reading as HB. 2817, the legislative framework returns to the floor without the need to restart the entire legislative process de novo (from the beginning).
The establishment of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service is critical to boosting agricultural biosecurity, regulating import and export standards, safeguarding the nation’s agricultural economy, and preventing the entry of foreign pests and diseases.
By referring the bill straight to the Committee of the Whole, the House reaffirms its commitment to efficiency, preserving legislative continuity, and delivering essential laws that drive national growth.
