Stakeholders seek technology-driven justice reforms to protect businesses
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s justice sector have called for technology-driven reforms to protect Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses by improving the ease of doing business in the country.
They made the call on Friday in Lafia at the opening of a three-day conference of the Network of Justice Sector Reform Teams (NJSRT), with the theme: “Interoperability Between Access to Justice and the Ease of Doing Business.”
The stakeholders include federal and state ministries of justice, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, judges, legal practitioners, civil society organisations, academia, research institutions, and international development partners.
The NJSRT provides a platform for justice sector actors to collaborate, share knowledge, and coordinate reforms aimed at strengthening justice delivery in the country.
Declaring the conference open, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, said technology remains critical to enhancing access to justice, reducing case backlogs and creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.
Fagbemi said that the conference theme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises investment attraction, job creation and sustainable economic growth.
According to him, no meaningful economic development can occur without a predictable and efficient justice system.
Fagbemi said: “the ease of doing business is not merely about improving bureaucratic efficiency; it is fundamentally a critical factor in service delivery and justice administration.
“It includes the institutional assurances we give to a small business owner in Lafia, a tech entrepreneur in Lagos and an international investor in London that their rights will be protected, their contracts enforced and their disputes resolved fairly and expeditiously.
“For too long, our justice system has been perceived as slow, complex and inaccessible. This perception, whether accurate or not, drags the economy, increases business costs, stifles innovation and discourages the patient capital we need.”
He said government is committed to ensuring that justice is accessible to all, including the poor and vulnerable as well as SMEs, describing them as the backbone of the economy.
The minister noted that most justice services were delivered at the state level, and therefore urged states to strengthen their systems.
He commended the Nasarawa State Government for implementing the Administration of Criminal Justice Law and digitising aspects of the justice sector.
In his remarks, Gov. Abdullahi Sule said that his administration was committed to creating a safe and prosperous environment for citizens and investors.
He said the state was aggressively pursuing private sector investment to harness its mineral and agricultural potential, create jobs and build sustainable infrastructure.
“Investors are not just looking for resources; they are looking for certainty – a jurisdiction where the rule of law is a lived reality.
“They want to know that commercial agreements will be respected, that regulatory frameworks are stable and that in the event of a dispute, they will have access to a fair, impartial and efficient justice system,” the governor said.
Sule reiterated his administration’s commitment to sustaining an enabling environment for businesses and investments to thrive in the state.
Also speaking, Oluwatoyin Badejogbin of the European Union, said development partners were focused on ensuring that conversations around justice sector reform translate into concrete actions that strengthen institutions.
He said reforms aimed at protecting businesses would help attract more investment into the country.
