The Rt. Hon. Patrick Achi, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, today paid a courtesy visit to the Secretariat of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL) in Abuja, where he was received by the entire CoSPAL team led by Secretary-General, Amb. ‘Dapo Oyewole. The Speaker was accompanied by Dr. Osasuyi Dirisu, Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC).
The visit forms part of the Speaker’s engagements in Nigeria, where he is attending the Gender and Inclusion Summit 2026 (GS-26) and is billed to deliver the Summit’s keynote address. President Achi, elected to lead Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly in January 2026 at the start of the 2026– 2030 legislature, was taken on a tour of the Secretariat before holding discussions with the Secretary- General and senior staff.
During the visit, Amb. Oyewole briefed the President on CoSPAL’s strategic priorities, including efforts to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and build lasting partnerships in support of Africa’s governance and development agenda. He also updated the President on outcomes from CoSPAL’s 3rd General Assembly, held in Rabat, Morocco in December 2025, and outlined plans for the Secretariat’s 4th General Assembly in Monrovia, Liberia in December 2026.
Discussions also touched on the Gender Legislative Agenda, a joint CoSPAL–PIC initiative set to be pre-launched at GS-26, with Dr. Dirisu speaking to its objectives and both institutions’ commitment to gender-responsive legislation across Africa’s parliaments. Amb. Oyewole and Rt. Hon. Achi exchanged views on deepening collaboration between the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire and CoSPAL, including avenues for greater Ivorian participation in CoSPAL’s capacity-building initiatives and peer-learning platforms.
Welcoming the Speaker, Amb. ‘Dapo Oyewole said:
“It is a distinct privilege to receive the Rt. Hon. Patrick Achi at our Secretariat today. Côte d’Ivoire has long been a valued and active member within the CoSPAL family and we had a rich and productive exchange on the priorities ahead.”
Speaking during the visit, Rt. Hon. Patrick Achi commended CoSPAL’s work in advancing parliamentary diplomacy, stating:
“CoSPAL occupies a vital place in the architecture of African legislative cooperation. I am pleased to reaffirm, on behalf of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, our full commitment to this important continental mission.”
Dr. Dirisu, convener of the Gender and Social Inclusion Summit in Abuja, at which the President of the Ivoirian National Assembly is Keynote Speaker, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Rt. Hon. Patrick Achi to Abuja ahead of his keynote at GS-26. His presence and today’s engagement with CoSPAL, underscore the growing recognition that gender- responsive governance is central to Africa’s legislative agenda.”
Following the Secretariat visit, the CoSPAL Secretary General, led the delegation on a visit to the National Assembly, where they were warmly hosted by the Majority Leader, Rt. Hon. (Prof.) Julius Ihonvbere. The visit concluded with a tour of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, as part of the orientation to Nigeria’s legislative institutions and to explore further areas of parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
The engagement forms part of CoSPAL’s continued outreach to Speakers and Presidents of member parliaments, and the Secretariat looks forward to welcoming President Achi and Dr. Dirisu to the 4th CoSPAL General Assembly in Monrovia and other future engagements.
