Fagbemi flags funding gaps as hurdle to justice sector reforms

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has warned that delays in fund releases and inadequate budgetary allocations are undermining the implementation of justice sector reforms across Nigeria.

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Speaking on Wednesday while defending the 2026 budget proposal of the Federal Ministry of Justice before the House of Representatives Committee on Justice, Mr Fagbemi highlighted the link between adequate funding and the effective delivery of the Ministry’s mandate.

He said the ministry’s operations are guided by the National Policy on Justice 2024 and its Strategic Plan 2023–2027, which align with the justice sector roadmap under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.

However, he lamented that limited budgetary allocations and delays in the release of approved funds have significantly hampered the execution of key projects and delivery of essential services.

Despite these challenges, the minister noted “progress in several areas,” including criminal justice administration reforms, counter-terrorism initiatives, efforts to exit the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, and advancements in asset recovery and financial management.

Budget breakdown

Providing a breakdown of budget performance, Mr Fagbemi disclosed that the ministry received N6.68 billion out of N7.5 billion appropriated for overhead costs over a 10-month period, representing 82 per cent performance.

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By contrast, capital expenditure fared poorly, with only N869.63 million released out of a total allocation of N6.75 billion, just 12 per cent and not cash-backed, effectively stalling project implementation. He added that no funds were released for the ministry’s 2025 capital projects.

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On the 2026 budget, the minister revealed that the ministry is requesting a total of N23.68 billion, covering personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures, to support ongoing reforms and new initiatives.

In response, the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun), assured that the committee would thoroughly review the ministry’s budget and those of its agencies to prevent inadequate funding from stalling justice sector reforms.

He also pledged that oversight would be strengthened to ensure accountability and optimal utilisation of approved funds.