[FILES] Abuja.
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Justice Research Institute (JRI), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Justice Reform Project (JRP) and other stakeholders are gathering in Abuja today, January 25, 2022, to deliberate on ways to address the most pressing challenges confronting the Nigerian justice sector.
Nigeria needs an effective, fair, humane, accessible and accountable justice sector, which is indispensable for upholding the rule of law and is a critical building block for the socio-economic and political development of the nation.
The summit is aimed at achieving a justice sector that enjoys the trust and confidence of citizens and businesses.
The NBA, in a concept note for the summit, said before now, different stakeholders in the justice sector, including the JRI, the NBA, the National Judicial Council (NJC), the UNODC, the KAF and the JRP were all planning various initiatives to address perceived challenges in the Nigerian justice sector. The summit is, therefore, an effort to harmonise these various initiatives.
For instance, the JRI planned to conduct a follow-on webinar in 2021 on the judicial appointments process to assess the output from its first webinar and take stock of any advancement that may have taken place as a result.
At the same time, the UNODC and the KAF had 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,” the NBA said.
The summit, with the theme “Devising practical solutions towards improved performance, enhanced accountability and independence in the Justice Sector”, will take a hybrid format, with participants attending both physically and virtually.
It will have Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, and Chief Justice of Nigeria Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad as special guests.
Others expected as special guests are Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Representatives, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, while Justice of the Court of Appeal, Peter Affen will deliver the keynote address.
The AGF, Chief Justice, the senate president and the NBA president, Olumide Akpata, will hold a 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.
Panelists at the technical sessions include Director of Research, NJI, Gilbert Tor; Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Oyo State, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo (SAN), Justice of the Supreme Court, president, National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice B. B. Kanyip Director, Budget Office of the Federation, Mrs. Funke Adekoya (SAN), among others.