President Bola Tinubu has formally asked the Senate to approve a set of judicial reforms designed to expand the capacity of Nigeria’s courts by increasing the number of judges serving in key judicial institutions.
At the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, read a letter from the President requesting legislative approval to amend the Court of Appeal Act, with the aim of increasing the number of justices from the current 70 to 110.
Tinubu explained that the proposal is intended to reinforce the court’s efficiency and ease the burden created by the rising volume of cases.
In the same communication, the President transmitted another bill proposing amendments to the Federal High Court Act to raise the number of judges from 70 to 90, an increase from the earlier statutory provision of 50 judges. He appealed to lawmakers to treat the bill as a priority to ensure swift passage. The proposed amendments were subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative consideration.
Beyond the numerical expansion of the judiciary, President Tinubu also requested Senate confirmation for the appointment of Justice Oyewole Joseph Kayode as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The upper chamber additionally received a separate Court of Appeal Amendment Bill seeking to establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre.
The proposed centre is expected to promote the settlement of suitable cases outside the conventional courtroom process, thereby reducing pressure on the courts. This bill was also referred to the Committee on Rules and Business.
In another development, the President forwarded a separate request seeking amendments to 24 bills in the health sector. According to the communication, the proposed changes are aimed at correcting issues arising from excessively large board memberships across various health-related agencies.
What you should know
President Tinubu’s requests form part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s judicial and institutional frameworks.
By increasing the number of judges in the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court, the administration hopes to reduce case backlogs and improve access to justice.
The proposed ADR Centre signals a shift toward alternative mechanisms for dispute resolution, while the review of health sector bills reflects an attempt to streamline governance structures and improve efficiency across public institutions.
