The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has ordered departments, units and directorates of the justice ministry to align their priorities with established digital frameworks such as the
Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), the National Policy on Justice, as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Fagbemi gave the directive at the top management retreat organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice held in Ikot-Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Thursday, with the theme’ ”Positioning for Digital Transformation.”
The minister said the justice ministry can no longer afford to lag, especially in the era of increasing reliance of citizens on technology to access services.
According to him, the ministry must embrace digital tools that guarantee timely and efficient service delivery if it is to meet the expectations of Nigerians and support the President’s vision for justice sector reforms.
While noting that there can be no sustainable growth without access to justice, Fagbemi lamented that the justice sector is facing daunting challenges that can only be tackled with technology-driven solutions.
He said, ”The justice sector is one of the catalysts for national development.
“There can be no sustainable growth without access to justice, respect for the rule of law, and a strengthened justice system.
“The criminal justice sector, in particular, faces daunting challenges: inadequate access to justice, overcrowded correctional facilities, delays in trials, and other systemic inefficiencies.
“These issues require urgent and technology-driven solutions.
”Furthermore, with the increasing reliance of citizens on technology to access services, the ministry can no longer depend solely on traditional modes of communication or manual processes.
“If we are to meet the expectations of Nigerians and support the President’s vision for justice sector reforms, we must embrace digital tools that guarantee timely and efficient service delivery.
”The ministry must therefore take the lead in adopting technology to enhance justice delivery. The challenges of today demand that justice never sleeps. With growing legal demands and societal pressures, we must adopt innovative strategies to keep the wheels of justice continuously in motion.
”I therefore charge all Departments, Units, and Directorates to align their priorities with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), the National Policy on Justice, and the Renewed Hope Agenda. These frameworks all underscore the centrality of technology in service delivery. Our task must go beyond compliance; it must embody proactive leadership in implementation, characterised by digital transformation, agile governance, strategic foresight, and data-driven decision-making.”
In his remarks, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Uno Eno, who declared the retreat opened, appreciated the minister for taking bold reforms aimed at strengthening the justice sector administration in the country.
He said such initiatives align with the ARISE agenda of the state government, adding that Akwa Ibom has fully embraced e-governance.
”In Akwa Ibom, we have fully embraced e-governance. Part of the first set of acts I performed shortly after I was sworn in was the creation of a standalone Ministry of Science and Digital Economy.
“Today, the processes of governance are highly simplified, efficient, and wastage has been cut. In the area of case management, our Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Digital Economy, is working on a digital solution to manage civil or criminal cases in litigation to inter to interface with the judiciary,” Eno said.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, explained that the retreat was designed to deepen institutional capacity in Electronic Content Management, digital case management and integration of Artificial Intelligence within legal workflows.
