The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is collaborating with the Justice Research Institute, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and The Justice Reform Project (JRP) to host the Justice Sector Summit 2022 in Abuja.

Themed “Devising Practical Solutions Towards Improved Performance, Enhanced Accountability and Independence in the Justice Sector”, the summit is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, January 25 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Central Business District, Abuja.

The summit aims towards the establishment and maintenance of an effective, fair, humane, accessible and accountable justice sector in Nigeria that enjoys the trust and confidence of citizens and businesses. This is indispensable for upholding the rule of law and is a critical building block for the socio-economic and political development of the nation.

Speaking about the event, the Chairman, NBA Judiciary Committee, Dr Babatunde Ajibade said the collaboration comes as an effort to harmonise the various initiatives of different stakeholders towards addressing perceived challenges in the Nigerian justice sector.

He said, “The NBA alongside other Stakeholders in the justice sector, such as the NJC, the Justice Research Institute, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (“UNODC”), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Justice Reform Project (JRP) have been working on a variety of initiatives, all aimed at addressing perceived challenges in the Nigerian justice sector.

“The UNODC and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation had, for instance, commissioned a study on the judicial selections and appointments process, with plans to host an event to publish the results and recommendations of the study.

“Consequently, it was resolved that rather than having separate initiatives and events with the potential for dissipation of efforts and impact, these organisations would come together to host a one-day Justice Sector Summit aimed at addressing the most pressing challenges confronting the Nigerian justice sector,” Dr Ajibade said.

According to the organising committee, the Summit will specifically address challenges around (a) Establishment of a solely merit-based judicial selection, appointment and promotion system; (b) Securing a different approach to budgeting and funding for the Judiciary; (c) Identifying the primary causes of delays in justice delivery in Nigeria and devising and implementing workable solutions to address this problem; and (d) Implementing a comprehensive court monitoring scheme.

Speaking further, the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, added
“The stakeholders realise that a one-day summit cannot address all the challenges confronting the justice sector. As such, we have narrowed the focus of the summit to a few critical issues and hope it will become an annual event to enable them monitor the progress being made and track the changes that continue to require implementation.”

The event will have Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, and Chief Justice of Nigeria Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad CFR, as special guests.

Others expected as special guests are Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Representatives, and Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Hon. Justice Peter Affen, Justice of the Court of Appeal, will be the Keynote Speaker, while the Attorney General of the Federation, the Chief Justice, the Senate President and the NBA President, Olumide Apata, will hold a panel session on “Devising Practical Solutions Towards Improved Performance, Enhanced Accountability and Independence in the Justice Sector”, to be moderated by Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), a former president of the NBA.