Lagos judiciary makes e-affidavit mandatory for non-litigation matters from 1 June

The Lagos State Judiciary has stated that all general affidavits, including change of name, loss of SIM, declaration of age, and similar personal declarations, must be processed exclusively through the state judiciary’s online platform, LagosCoMiS, from 1 June.

The Deputy Chief Registrar (Admin) at the Ikeja High Court, Rasaq Davies, disclosed this in a circular on the directive of the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba.

Mr Davies said the new directive applies only to non-litigation affidavits typically required for administrative and personal documentation in banking, telecommunications, immigration, and other civil sectors.

He explained that it does not affect affidavits filed in connection with ongoing proceedings in the High Court.

“I have the directive of the Honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State to inform you that effective from 1st of June 2025, all General Affidavits (Affidavits for Change of Name, loss of SIM, Declaration of Age, etc), excluding affidavits used for litigation at the High Court shall be generated exclusively through the LagosComis Platform,” the statement read.

The LagosCoMiS platform—short for Lagos Court Management Information System—is part of the judiciary’s digital infrastructure to automate filings and streamline court-related processes. It can be accessed at http://lagoscomis.lagosjudiciary.gov.ng.

To support the transition, the judiciary has published step-by-step instructions for obtaining e-Affidavits on the platform.

“Guidelines on how to use the E-Affidavits are available on the LagosComis website,” the notice added.

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Reform

The Lagos judiciary has, in recent years, expanded its use of technology to improve access to justice.

In 2020, it introduced the Remote Hearing Guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2023, it launched electronic probate and online case tracking features under LagosCoMiS.

This latest shift to e-Affidavits aligns with broader state reforms to reduce paperwork, cut down fraud, and enhance transparency in affidavit processing, which has historically been plagued by touting and forgery at court premises.

The circular added that the digital switch is expected to reduce queues, eliminate middlemen, and standardise affidavit issuance across the state.