The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to review, update, and consolidate Nigeria’s outdated laws. The initiative aims to align the legal framework with modern realities and improve governance.
On Thursday in Abuja, the federal government established a committee composed of esteemed legal experts from various fields. Their task is to review, update, and consolidate outdated Nigerian laws within six months.
The review and update of the law are reportedly part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s continuous efforts to uphold the rule of law and improve access to justice, aligning with policy goals that aim at fostering socio-economic growth and pursuing legal reforms.
On behalf of the federal government, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, inaugurated the Committee. He urged its members to be thorough in carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
Fagbemi urged legal experts to concentrate on identifying outdated laws that do not align with modern needs and values. He also called for the harmonization of conflicting laws to ensure uniformity and consistency.
He expressed, “I want to let everyone know that this project holds a special place in my heart. I have long been troubled by our apparent inability to update the Laws of the Federation (LFN) since 2004, which is crucial for ensuring clarity, predictability, consistency, and uniformity in our legal framework.”
You all know that the primary aim of law is to safeguard public interest and manage human behavior as well as interactions between corporate entities.
The law is perpetually changing and developing, so it’s essential to continually review or reform our legal system. This ongoing process helps address modern socio-economic changes, resolve outdated or conflicting provisions, and ultimately aims to enhance justice administration and uphold the rule of law.
As you know, it is long overdue to review, update, and consolidate the Laws of the Federation from 2004. This process aims to incorporate legislative developments—such as repeals, amendments, and new enactments—from that year up until now. The goal is to advance the law development mandate of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The Committee’s main objectives in this exercise are to identify outdated laws that do not align with current needs and values, as well as to harmonize conflicting laws for uniformity and consistency.
This aims to attract socio-economic growth and investment, enhance efficiency, and adapt to technological advancements.
This Committee has been intentionally established with members who possess extensive professional experience and technical expertise across different areas of the justice sector.
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I understand that there is a significant amount of work ahead, and I want to express my gratitude to each of you for stepping up to serve our nation in this role.
I would like to specifically express my gratitude to the leadership of the National Assembly, the Nigeria Law Reform Commission, and the Nigerian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies for their support of this initiative.
Rest assured that the Federal Ministry of Justice will consistently offer institutional support and assistance as needed to help the Committee fulfill its mandate.
The Committee, led by Olawale Fapohunda, SAN as Chair and Professor Jummai Audi, the Chairman of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission as Co-Chair, is tasked with these Terms of Reference:
Organize the gathering, organizing, and compiling of LFN until 2024. Collaborate with relevant government agencies to harmonize the Laws of the Federation up to that year and ensure all collected legislations are cross-checked, edited, and proofread.
Identify all legislations absent from the 2004 edition of the Laws of the Federation and update them accordingly. Additionally, pinpoint outdated or redundant laws in the current legal framework that require repeal, and consolidate laws dealing with related issues to eliminate redundancy.
Additionally, they are required to prepare a comprehensive report of findings for the AGF afterward, and
carry out and engage in any lawful task related to it.
The national assignment is expected to be completed within six months from the date of this inauguration. I urge the Committee to do their utmost to meet this deadline.
The AGF urged the Committee to collaborate effectively and demonstrate patriotism for the benefit of the nation. He also expressed optimism about receiving both the report and copies of the draft volumes for Laws of the Federation 2024, in accordance with federal government objectives.
