Fashola seeks Lagos court users’ survey, judicial ombudsman

A former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has called for the establishment of a judicial ombudsman and a comprehensive survey of court users to assess the effectiveness of the state’s justice system.

Fashola said the proposed ombudsman would provide citizens and other users of the justice system with an avenue to lodge complaints about their experiences, while a professional survey would help the judiciary determine whether it was delivering the quality of service expected by litigants.

The former governor made the call on Tuesday while delivering the keynote address at the 2026/2027 Lagos State Judiciary New Legal Year Summit held at Jewel Aieda, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The summit was themed, “Justice as an Economic Infrastructure: Strengthening the Judiciary for Africa’s Fifth Largest Economy.”

Fashola said the justice system should be assessed beyond legal principles and advocacy by examining the experience of those who depend on the courts.

“This initiative, in my view, invites us to look at justice beyond the precepts of legalism and all of the advocacy that takes place, and to see the essence of justice and the judiciary as a science,” he said.

He urged the Lagos judiciary to commission a professional survey to establish how court users currently experienced the justice system.

According to him, the survey should examine how long cases took from commencement to conclusion, how effectively commercial disputes were handled and whether judgments were enforced in a manner that restored litigants to the position they ought to occupy.

Fashola challenged stakeholders to determine how long an average case took in Lagos and whether the period met the expectations of court users.

He also drew attention to land and property disputes, stressing that land was an important basis for capital formation and business activity.

The former governor questioned whether the judiciary was sufficiently responsive to disputes affecting businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Fashola recalled reforms carried out in the Lagos justice sector during his tenure as governor, including changes to court rules and procedures, the introduction and expansion of alternative dispute resolution, front-loading and the recruitment of younger lawyers.

He said the reforms showed the need for periodic institutional self-examination to determine whether the justice system remained fit for contemporary demands.

The former governor also advocated greater attention to informal dispute-resolution mechanisms, arguing that some disputes could be resolved outside conventional court processes.

He said the continued development of alternative dispute resolution could help reduce pressure on the formal court system, particularly in disputes involving customary or community-related issues.

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Earlier, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said an independent, efficient and accessible judiciary was critical to the growth of Lagos State and the Nigerian economy.

Kekere-Ekun, whose goodwill message was delivered by the Administrative Judge, Lagos, Justice Toyin Ipaye, urged the Lagos judiciary to embrace technology where it could improve access to justice, strengthen case management and reduce avoidable delays.

She said justice should be regarded as a critical infrastructure for economic development, just like roads, bridges, ports, electricity and digital networks.

“Businesses require confidence that agreements will be respected, disputes fairly resolved, property rights protected and lawful obligations enforced, while investors need assurance that an independent institution exists to provide remedies when things go wrong,” she said.

The CJN said courts that resolved disputes fairly and within a reasonable time did more than dispose of cases, as they created certainty, reduced the cost of unresolved disputes, protected legitimate investments and encouraged responsible enterprise.

She said the Nigerian judiciary was already implementing reforms, including Electronic Filing Practice Directions and the National Case Management System at the Supreme Court, aimed at improving case management, transparency and efficiency.

Kekere-Ekun, however, cautioned that technology must serve the people because “the judiciary remains a human institution.”

She also called for stronger cooperation between the Bench and the Bar, urging both sides to maintain mutual respect and professional courtesy even where robust disagreement was required.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), called for continued investment in judicial infrastructure, human capital and technology.

Sanwo-Olu said an effective justice system protected property rights, enforced contracts, resolved disputes and provided confidence to citizens, businesses and investors.

He also advocated greater use of mediation and arbitration, particularly in commercial disputes, and urged lawyers to acquire expertise in technology, business, data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, intellectual property and digital transactions.

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, said the economy remained the backbone of every community and urged the judiciary to recognise the wider economic implications of cases before the courts.

Describing Lagos as the “commercial basket of Nigeria,” Alogba said the state had an important role to play in strengthening its economy and contributing to national economic growth.

He also disclosed that the seminar would henceforth be conducted through physical and virtual platforms to enable wider participation, explaining that the venue could not accommodate everyone interested in attending the programme.