Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).

Kalu takes over from Ghana’s Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, who vacated the position following his nomination as a minister in the new Ghanaian government. The announcement was made by Senator Tony Sibandze of Eswatini, the Acting Chair of the Committee, during PAP’s ongoing session in Midrand, South Africa.

According to a statement from Kalu’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the West African Caucus of PAP unanimously nominated him for the role during a meeting in Johannesburg. The nomination was ratified on Tuesday, leading to the official announcement.

Additionally, the Committee ratified the nomination of Senator Christine Mwando Katempa from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as Deputy Chairperson.

Kalu, who attended the PAP sessions in South Africa, also serves as the Chairman of the Finance and Administrative Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament and is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The Pan-African Parliament serves as the legislative arm of the African Union (AU), representing all 55 member states on the continent.