President Bola Tinubu on Monday urged judges to ensure swift and fair delivery of justice.
The president warned that delays in the justice system could weaken democratic stability.
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The president spoke through Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja during the inauguration of the Abuja Division Building Complex of the Court of Appeal, in Dakibiyu, Abuja, according to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
“Instead of widespread citizen frustration with prolonged case backlogs and slow adjudication, he maintained that the administration of justice must be both fair and swift so that the common man can have confidence in the judiciary as his last hope,” he said.
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The Court of Appeal entered the 2025/2026 legal year in December 2025 with 31,618 pending appeals and 3,382 pending motions, according to figures reportedly presented by the President of the Court of Appeal, Monica Dongban-Mensem.
She said the court’s backlog had reduced from 41,952 appeals in the previous legal year to 31,618 as of October 2025. Mrs Dongban-Mensem also noted that election petitions, constitutional matters and other complex appeals continued to place heavy pressure on the court’s docket.
The president said during the inauguration of the new complex on Monday, “Let justice be swift. Let it be fair. Let it be blind to status, tribe, or purse. Let the common man feel that this court is truly his last hope.”
He acknowledged the workload of judges, particularly at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.
“The eyes of Nigeria are on you. You deserve an environment that matches the weight of your responsibility,” he said.
He acknowledged that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal operated for too long from a cramped and inadequate facility. “A nation that seeks justice must respect the temple of justice,” he said.
He said the complex aligns with his administration’s judicial reform agenda, which seeks to improve governance, strengthen the rule of law and provide greater support for the judiciary.
He noted that the facility contains two large courtrooms and eight smaller courtrooms, which he said would help improve the handling of cases and support faster justice delivery.
Mr Tinubu commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for delivering the project within the agreed timeline. “You promised 16 months. You delivered in record time. No excuses. No variation. Just results,” he said.
He also praised the FCT Administration for supporting judicial reforms through the construction of court facilities and residences for judges, as well as efforts to digitise judicial processes.
Judicial reforms, not buildings, reduce court backlog
A lawyer and public affairs analyst, Frank Tietie, has faulted the notion that construction of new court buildings would fix Nigeria’s rising case backlog, describing it as weak thinking in justice administration.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Tietie dismissed claims that new infrastructure would ease delays at the Court of Appeal as “self-deception”.
“It is self-deception of the highest order. What we urgently need is the administration of justice reforms,” he said.
He argued that backlog reduction depends on systemic reform rather than physical expansion.
He contended that reliance on buildings ignores how appellate courts function, where judges determine most cases on written briefs.
“People do not need buildings to resolve appeals,” he noted.
He added that courts can process appeals electronically since most cases do not require witness testimony.
Mr Tietie stressed that existing infrastructure can only support efficient justice delivery if backed by reforms and technology.
He pointed to manpower gaps, including weak capacity, poor supervision and inefficiency in case handling.
He insisted that strict timelines and stronger administrative discipline would improve performance across the appellate system.
He maintained that reforms, not buildings alone, will reduce backlog in the courts, and called for wider adoption of electronic filing, digital hearings and artificial intelligence in legal research and case management.
Wike, others commend president
In his welcome address during the inauguration of the new complex, FCT minister, Mr Wike, said he drew the president’s attention to the poor condition of the Court of Appeal facility and sought intervention.
According to him, the president approved the construction of a new complex for the Court of Appeal and residential accommodation for judges.
The minister disclosed that similar interventions were also approved for the National Industrial Court, the Federal High Court and the Code of Conduct Tribunal in the FCT.
He argued that judicial independence is difficult to achieve when judges lack suitable work conditions and adequate housing.
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The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the project coincided with the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration.
He said the president had consistently provided support for the judiciary since assuming office.
According to him, recent interventions approved by the administration demonstrate its commitment to strengthening the justice sector.
The Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as evidence of the federal government’s commitment to improving justice delivery and ensuring efficient service to Nigerians.
‘New complex will improve administration of justice’
President of the Court of Appeal, Mrs Dongban-Mensem, maintained that the new complex would significantly improve the administration of justice.
She said the Abuja division of the court had operated from only two courtrooms before the completion of the project, a situation that affected the speed of case disposal.
According to her, inadequate infrastructure contributed to delays in the hearing and determination of cases.
She expressed confidence that the new facility would improve the court’s capacity and accelerate the resolution of matters before it.
She thanked Mr Tinubu, Vice President Shettima and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Wike, for supporting efforts to strengthen the justice sector.
