The First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, has stressed the need for peer learning and networking to strengthen parliamentary democracy. 

“The effectiveness of any Parliament is closely tied to the quality of its members and the robustness of its support system,” he said.

Conference

He was speaking at the opening of a two-day conference of the Network of Parliamentary Training Institutes (PTIs) in Accra last Monday.

The conference was organised by Parliament, in collaboration with the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training, Kenya, and brought together Members of Parliament and the management of the parliamentary service.

It was on the theme “Parliamentary Training Institutes: Peer Learning and Networking.”
 

Training

Mr Ahiafor observed that the future of parliamentary strengthening depended on developing networks of institutions that could collaboratively develop solutions, share resources and support one another.

“Training must no longer be seen as an occasional activity; it must be regarded as a strategic institutional partnership,” he added.

He told participants that the Parliament of Ghana’s Training Institute delivered 36 training programmes last year, involving 2,792 participants, including MPs and staff. 

The Executive Director, Centre for Parliamentary Studies Training, Kenya, Professor Nyokabi Kamau, said the conference was seen as a significant step in strengthening parliamentary training networks and sharing best practices among African and international legislative institutions.

Speaking on behalf of the Minority Leader, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, emphasised collective growth, learning in Parliament, technology awareness and a culture shift in which training was integral to parliamentary work.  

He cited investment, relevance and ownership as three conditions for success.

On his part, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, said the network was a game-changer for parliamentary democracy, capacity building to enhance parliamentary effectiveness and broadening the scope to the entire democratic ecosystem—media, civil society and citizens.