Rewriting justice: Tinubu’s quest to arrest Nigeria’s endless adjudication delays
The Court of Appeal has a big job in delivering justice. It’s where people go if they feel lower courts like State High Courts, Federal High Courts, or the National
The Court of Appeal has a big job in delivering justice. It’s where people go if they feel lower courts like State High Courts, Federal High Courts, or the National Industrial Court got it wrong. Since states can not have their own appeal courts, all cases, including election petitions, come here. This causes long delays. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a bill to the National Assembly for major fixes, writes TONY AKOWE.
Justice delayed, Nigerians often say, is justice denied.
But in Nigeria’s appellate system, justice has too often felt like justice deferred indefinitely.
In most cases, justice is lost in a maze of adjournments, congested dockets, and structural bottlenecks.
It is against this backdrop that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed reform of the Court of Appeal has landed before the National Assembly.
It raises hopes of a long-awaited reset of the nation’s appellate justice architecture.
For years, legal practitioners, civil society groups and litigants have spoken with near unanimity: Nigeria’s justice system must change, and urgently.
At the heart of that consensus lies the Court of Appeal, arguably the busiest and most overburdened court in the country.
Now, with an Executive Bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act, the Tinubu administration is attempting what many observers describe as one of the most ambitious overhauls of the appellate justice system since independence.
The reform proposal goes beyond routine amendments.
It aims to expand the number of justices, integrate technology into court processes, introduce an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism at the appellate level, and modernise administrative structures to align the court with 21st-century demands.
If passed into law, the reforms could redefine how appellate justice is delivered in Nigeria - faster, more accessible, and more responsive to the realities of a growing population and an increasingly complex legal environment.
A court strained to its limits
The Court of Appeal sits at a critical junction in Nigeria’s judicial hierarchy. Appeals from the Federal High Courts across the 36 states, state High Courts, and the National Industrial Court all converge at the appellate court.
In addition, the court serves as the final arbiter in legislative election petitions and as a court of first instance in presidential election disputes.
This centrality has come at a cost. The sheer volume of cases has overwhelmed the court, leading to long delays in hearing and determining appeals.
Lawyers routinely complain that it takes years for appeals to be listed, let alone resolved.
Even the creation of additional divisions of the court across the country has done little to ease the pressure.
READ ALSO; Shettima to Governors: Make growth touch everyday Nigerians
These delays do more than frustrate litigants. They erode public confidence in the rule of law, discourage investment, and slow economic and social development.
For many Nigerians, the justice system appears distant, expensive, and painfully slow. It is this systemic dysfunction that the President’s reform bill seeks to confront head-on.
Reform as a governance imperative
President Tinubu’s proposal is not an isolated initiative. It aligns with a broader vision outlined in his Renewed Hope Agenda, which identifies judicial reform as a cornerstone of national development.
The agenda recognises that without a credible, efficient and accessible justice system, efforts at economic reform, anti-corruption, and social stability will struggle to gain traction.
According to policy documents associated with the agenda, the administration is committed to decongesting courts, increasing the number of judges and justices, expanding courtroom infrastructure, and digitising judicial processes.
Advertisement
300x250
The goal is simple but far-reaching: faster access to justice for all Nigerians.
The document promises increased funding for the digitisation of court processes, electronic filing systems, and virtual hearings.
It also commits the government to reviewing outdated laws and recommending their amendment or repeal to reflect contemporary realities.
In essence, the administration is seeking to drag Nigeria’s justice system out of the analogue era and into the digital age.
Legislative alignment
Crucially, the executive does not appear to be acting alone. The House of Representatives has identified judicial reform as one of its core legislative priorities.
Lawmakers acknowledge that weak institutions, limited access to justice, and outdated legal frameworks have undermined the rule of law over the years.
In its legislative agenda, the House pledged to work with other arms of government to strengthen the judiciary.
Among its commitments are proposals to improve transparency in the appointment of judges, ensure adequate funding for the courts, harmonise conflicting laws, and update obsolete legislation.
This alignment between the executive and legislature has given legal observers cautious optimism that the proposed reforms may enjoy swift passage, provided political will remains firm.
What the Bill proposes
In a letter dated January 23, 2026, President Tinubu formally requested the National Assembly to amend the laws establishing the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
While the amendment to the Federal High Court Act seeks a modest increase in the number of judges from 70 to 90, the proposed changes to the Court of Appeal Act are far more sweeping.
The Court of Appeal (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the Court of Appeal Act, Cap C36, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Its stated objective is to strengthen the institutional capacity, efficiency and effectiveness of the Court of Appeal in line with constitutional provisions and modern justice-sector realities.
Among its key provisions is an increase in the number of justices of the court, a move widely seen as essential to reducing backlog and shortening waiting times for appeals.
The bill also seeks to restructure rules relating to the composition, precedence and ranking of justices, including clearer provisions on the seniority of justices and the status of the President of the Court of Appeal.
Perhaps most transformative is the bill’s embrace of technology. It explicitly provides for the conduct of proceedings through electronic and audio-visual means, formally recognising virtual hearings and digital court processes.
The bill also proposes the establishment of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre within the Court of Appeal, empowering the President of the Court to issue regulations and practice directions for its operation.
According to the President, these reforms are timely and necessary. They are designed to reduce delays, improve access to justice, and restore public confidence in the judiciary.
Legal community reacts
Within the legal community, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
A lawyer at the National Assembly, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the proposed appellate-level ADR centre as a “natural and welcome progression,” noting that similar mechanisms already exist at lower courts across the country.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Onyekachi Ubani, also welcomed the reforms, describing them as “better late than never.”
Ubani, who serves as Special Adviser to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said delays in the justice system have long undermined public trust and discouraged foreign investors.
He said: “We have been complaining for years about how long it takes to prosecute cases.
“If investors fear that disputes will drag on for decades, they will simply take their businesses elsewhere.”
Advertisement
300x250
Ubani said the introduction of ADR at the appellate level reflects global best practice and could significantly reduce the court’s workload.
He urged the National Assembly to fast-track the bill’s passage.
A system that takes decades
For Dr. Reuben Atabo (SAN), the reform is not just desirable; it is urgent.
He recalled handling a case instituted in 1999 that was only concluded in 2020, more than two decades later.
Another case from the same year, he said, is still pending at the Supreme Court and has only recently been scheduled for hearing in 2027.
Atabo said: “In other jurisdictions, cases that take 25 or 30 years here would be resolved in three.
“Some litigants don’t live to see the end of their cases.”
He believes the introduction of ADR at the appellate level could help resolve many disputes without prolonged adversarial litigation, preserving relationships and saving time and costs.
He also argued that the slow pace of justice directly impedes national development.
More Justices, faster justice
Atabo also strongly supports increasing the number of justices of the Court of Appeal.
According to him, the volume of appeals from states like Lagos, Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi alone justifies multiple panels sitting simultaneously.
He said: “There is nothing wrong with having three panels sitting in Abuja alone. But you cannot do that without increasing the number of justices.”
He cited a recent special panel in Lagos that reportedly heard over 360 cases as evidence of what is possible with adequate manpower.
Embracing the digital age
On digitisation, Atabo argued that Nigeria’s justice system must evolve with the times.
He recalled successfully taking evidence virtually from a client based in the United States, a process he described as seamless and effective.
Advertisement
300x250
“During COVID-19, we saw that virtual hearings can work,” he said. “Why should someone travel from America, only to discover that the court is not sitting and the case has been adjourned?”
Digital court processes, he argued, would reduce costs, eliminate manual inefficiencies, and speed up justice delivery.
Other legal practitioners echo these sentiments.
Lateef Ibrahim, a lawyer and journalist, described the proposed ADR centre as a “win-win” for litigants, noting that prolonged litigation often destroys relationships.
Chairman of the Gwagwalada branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Owhor Clever, praised the President’s initiative and urged lawmakers to act quickly.
He said: “The world is moving digital. The judiciary cannot afford to lag.”
Pelumi Olajengbesi also welcomed the bill, saying it would democratise access to justice by reducing costs and allowing litigants to participate virtually.
Civil society perspective
Civil society organisations have also weighed in. The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) described the bill as one of the most consequential reforms of Nigeria’s appellate court in recent history.
According to PLAC, the amendments would clarify administrative ambiguities, strengthen institutional capacity, and improve efficiency in a court that plays a pivotal role in Nigeria’s democracy.
PLAC noted that clearer rules on seniority and leadership within the Court of Appeal would help prevent internal disputes and improve governance.
Challenges ahead
Despite broad support, the reforms will not be without challenges. Nigeria’s digital infrastructure remains uneven, with unreliable internet connectivity in many regions.
Training judges, court staff and lawyers to adapt to new systems will require sustained investment.
Ensuring that indigent litigants are not excluded from digital processes is another concern.
There is also the perennial challenge of institutional resistance to change.
Still, many believe the moment is ripe. With executive resolve, legislative alignment and broad professional support, the proposed Court of Appeal reforms represent a rare opportunity to tackle the deep-rooted inefficiencies of Nigeria’s justice system.
If implemented faithfully, the reforms could mark a turning point - one where justice is no longer measured in decades, but delivered in time to matter.
