The Speaker of South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, has issued a bold charge to African parliaments, declaring that the continent cannot build strong democracies without first empowering the legislative aides who drive day-to-day parliamentary work.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the maiden African Legislative Aides Conference (ALAC 2025), Kumba described aides as “the quiet custodians of democracy” whose research, documentation, analysis and administrative coordination sustain the legislative process across African nations.
“Parliament is only as strong as its support system,” she said, emphasising that aides – clerks, researchers, analysts, administrators and technical staff – must be recognised not as assistants but as core players in lawmaking and oversight.
The three-day conference, which brought together delegates from across the continent, seeks to create Africa’s first continental platform for legislative aides – one focused on standardisation, capacity development and inter-parliamentary collaboration.
The South Sudanese Speaker stressed that strong Speakers, Presidents of Parliament or committed lawmakers cannot function effectively without a skilled support structure that provides research depth, committee coordination, procedural guidance and institutional continuity.
She warned that no parliament can outrun the quality of its aides.
“When political cycles shift, aides remain,” she said. “They preserve records, guide lawmakers and uphold procedure. They are the unseen weight-bearers of democracy.”
Kumba argued that Africa’s democratic stability – especially at a time of military reversals in some countries – depends greatly on professional legislative work backed by research, technology and administrative expertise.
A key highlight of her keynote address was a call for immediate investment in digital tools for legislative aides.
She noted that African parliaments must embrace digital archiving, AI-supported research, cloud-based committee systems and online transparency tools if they must operate at modern global standards.
“Without digital empowerment, we cannot empower aides — and without empowering aides, we cannot strengthen democracy,” she stated.
The Chairman of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, High Chief Emeka Nwala, who earlier welcomed delegates, said the gathering was designed to deepen professionalism, standardise legislative support work and consolidate democracy in Africa.
He insisted that empowering aides is not optional:“Legislative aides are the powerhouse that drives parliament,” he said.
With representatives from multiple African legislatures in attendance, the Abuja conference marks the first coordinated attempt to organise aides continent-wide.
The African Legislative Aides Association was officially inaugurated at the Conference with Emeka Nwala as the continental chairman.