 And the House of Representatives has begun moves to revive the almost comatose Nigerian Institute of International Affairs NIA. This is with the view to upgrading it to a degree awarding institution. This decision follows the proposed bill by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. It's on the need for the bill to act for an act to repeal and re-enact the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and related matters. It will be submitted for debate in the House of Representatives. Emmanuel Ehigene completes the report. Foreign Affairs came into focus at this sitting of the House of Representatives. Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Dr Yusuf Yakuubu emphasised the importance of reviving the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs NIA. Over the years, the Institute has carved a niche as the centre of excellence. According to Honolabu Yakuubu, the NIA had single-handedly trained many-carrier diplomats in foreign policy and diplomacy. As such, it should be given a new lease of life and upgraded to a degree awarding institution. The act will be all-in-compassing because apart from the statutory allocation from government, the institution will be able to generate revenue locally and also will be able to attract funds from the international community. So that means there is hope. We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. The current director-general of the institution went down memory lane as he captured the golden era of the institution and its achievement. He also identified inadequate funding and neglect as reasons for the poor state of the institution. In the area of funding, we think that this act addresses questions of diversification of funding sources. It talks about the establishment of a special fund that will be administered in the manner of the Marshall Plan Act that we had that resuscitated the whole of Europe after the Second World War. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femingwata Bienmila was represented by Deputy Leader of the House Honourable Peter Akpatasen. He explained the nice assembly is ready to support the upgrade of the NIA to a degree awarding institution. The current House of Representatives is not, sorry, is support of every effort that is geared towards revamping, repositioning, even building of strategic institutions in our country. Perhaps repositioning the institute will further enrich the diplomatic efficiency of the nation's foreign envoys.