The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)/ Partnership for Advocacy and Civic Education (PACE) Working group on National Conference met in Abuja on 2^nd July, 2003. The Working Group on National Conference is one of the Working Groups set up to increase the engagement of civil society organisations in constitutional reform to advocate for a comprehensive review of the 1999 Constitution. The other working groups are those on socio-economic rights, citizenship, fiscal federalism, independent Commission, Gender and security.

• Although the clamour for a National Conference to discuss the problems of Nigeria is not new, there appears to be a consensus on the need for a dialogue.
• The Nigerian political class has a long history of promoting sectionalist ideologies and threats.
• The history of Constitution making in Nigeria shows that marginalised and special interest groups like women, youth, labour, minorities, etc have always been excluded from the process. However, Constitutional Conferences were held in 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1958 and 1963 prior to enactment of previous constitutions.
• The authority that established constitution review committees in the past determined the membership and composition thereby raising questions of credibility.
• A Sovereign National Conference presupposes the absence of an elected and legitimate democratic government with a functional legislature, executive and judiciary. On the other hand, a National Conference takes into cognisance the existence of these democratic institutions hence we advocate for the convocation of a National Conference.
• A National Conference is imperative in Nigeria to discuss among other things the Structure, organisation and functioning of the Nigerian Nation.

• The Government should form a Constitutional Review Commission which will collate the views of Nigerians on issues to be addressed at the National Conference and produce a draft constitution to be debated at the Conference. The draft constitution should then be subjected to a referendum.
• Civil society organisations should prepare a bill on the formation of the Commission and carry out advocacy targeted at the executive with a view to convincing the executive to initiate the bill at the National Assembly.
• Membership of the Constitutional Review Commission and delegates to the National Conference should include representatives of the executive, National Assembly, Judiciary, CSOs, labour, the organised private sector, professional associations, students, ethnic nationalities, women, youth, persons with disabilities, religious leaders, traditional rulers, the military, paramilitary organisations and pensioners.
• Funding of the Constitution Review Commission and the National Conference should be through the Consolidated revenue fund. The two bodies may however raise funds from other sources.
• The agenda for the National Conference should include but not limited to issues that have been identified by the Presidential Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, the National Assembly Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and the Citizens Forum for Constitutional Reform (CFCR). These issues include among other things the structure government at all level, distribution of power and resources, rights and obligations of citizens, functioning of organs of government and gender.
• The setting up of the Commission, convocation of National conference and adoption of a new Constitution should be completed not later than 2005 and the constitution so adopted should take effect from 2007.

Mr. Otive Igbuzor CDD Programme Co-ordinator	Mr. Godwin Odo Working Group Leader, National Conference
Dr. Sam Egwu Deputy Convenor  CFCR	Ms Evelyn Onyilo National President, NAWOJ Member of Working Group