Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has been appointed Chairman of the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), the legislative arm of the African Union (AU).
Kalu succeeds Muntaka Mubarak of Ghana, who vacated the position following his appointment as a minister in his country’s new government.
His appointment was announced on Tuesday by Tony Sibandze from Eswatini, who had been serving as the acting chairman. Speaking during a PAP meeting in Midrand, South Africa, Sibandze said, “We got communications this morning, today actually, that Honourable Benjamin from Nigeria has been assigned to be the chairman of this committee to complete the term up to June.”
The West African caucus at PAP unanimously nominated Kalu to complete Mubarak’s tenure. In addition, Christine Katempa from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was named Deputy Chairperson of the committee.
Beyond his new role at PAP, Kalu also holds key positions in international finance and legislative bodies, including:
- Chairman of the Finance and Administrative Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament
- Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
- Recent appointee to the Steering Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the IPU
Established in 2004, the PAP serves as the legislative body of the African Union (AU), promoting democratic governance, economic development, and integration across the continent.
