President Tinubu Commissions New Court of Appeal Complex in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has declared that meaningful judicial independence cannot be achieved without providing judges and judicial officers with adequate infrastructure and conducive working conditions. He made this statement while commissioning the newly completed Court of Appeal Abuja Division Building Complex in Dakibiyu, Abuja.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu described the edifice as a symbol of his administration's commitment to the rule of law and institutional renewal. He said the project reflects the federal government's determination to strengthen the judiciary, adding that the complex is not just a building but a statement that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the rule of law will have a befitting home.
Tinubu recalled that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal had for years operated from a cramped and temporary facility, a situation he considered unacceptable for an institution entrusted with dispensing justice. According to him, a nation that seeks justice must respect the temple of justice.
The president commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for delivering the project within the stipulated timeframe, describing him as Mr Project. He disclosed that when he visited and saw the condition, he simply instructed that it be fixed, and today it has been done. Tinubu noted that the minister demonstrated exceptional commitment after receiving the assignment in May 2024, mobilising contractors to the site within two months and ensuring completion of the project without variation in cost.
The president further noted that the facility, comprising two large courtrooms and eight smaller ones, would enhance the speedy dispensation of justice, reduce case backlogs, and improve access to justice for FCT residents. He added that the project aligns with his administration's agenda of improving governance through judicial reforms, increased funding, digitisation of court processes, and provision of adequate accommodation for judicial officers.
Earlier, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the commissioning as a historic milestone for the Nigerian judiciary and democracy. He said the project, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Court of Appeal, represents one of several interventions by the Tinubu administration to strengthen judicial independence and effectiveness. Fagbemi argued that no administration in recent history had provided the level of support currently being enjoyed by the judiciary, citing the over 300 per cent increase in the remuneration and welfare package of judicial officers, expansion of judicial infrastructure, and appointment of judicial officers to fill vacancies at the Supreme Court.
For Wike, judicial independence cannot be discussed in isolation from the quality of infrastructure available to judicial officers. According to him, you cannot talk about the independence of the judiciary when the judiciary does not have a fitting environment to carry out its functions.
