The Federal Government is seeking to modernise Nigeria's legal system after identifying 268 obsolete federal laws for removal and recommending updates to another 664 enactments to bring them in line with current realities and international standards.
The exercise, which covers federal legislation from 2004 to 2025, is expected to produce a consolidated and updated edition of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while receiving the report of the Law Review Committee chaired by Olawale Fapounda.
Start tomorrow informed
Save your place for the morning brief. We’ll start emailing when delivery goes live.
Free. Confirm by email. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fagbemi said the committee examined 932 federal enactments and 731 subsidiary legislations, identifying 664 enactments for inclusion in the proposed Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2025, while 268 were classified as obsolete, spent or repealed.
He said the reviewed laws would be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for onward transmission to the National Assembly for consideration and necessary legislative action.
The minister expressed concern that Nigeria's last official review of federal laws was conducted in 2004, leaving more than 20 years of legislative, constitutional, institutional and technological developments without a comprehensive consolidation.
He said the prolonged gap had resulted in the accumulation of new laws and amendments, making an extensive review necessary to ensure that the country's legal framework remained relevant and accessible.
Fagbemi said, “The Laws of the Federation must serve as a reliable reference for the courts, legal practitioners, public institutions, investors, and the general public.”
He warned against allowing another prolonged period without a comprehensive review, saying outdated legislation could undermine the country's development and effective administration of justice.
The minister said the government intended to establish a system for regularly tracking new enactments, amendments and subsidiary legislation to prevent a recurrence.
“We must strengthen our capacity to track new enactments, amendments and subsidiary legislation so that our laws remain current and responsive to emerging developments,” he said.
He added that the ultimate objective was to establish a modern and accessible legal framework capable of promoting the rule of law, protecting citizens' rights, strengthening governance and supporting national security.
Fagbemi also called on members of the National Assembly to support the timely consideration of the proposed legislative measures, stressing that the exercise required cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The committee chairman, Fapounda, said the review took more than two years and involved efforts to examine, harmonise and consolidate federal legislation.
He identified archaic statutory language, complicated cross-references, outdated chapter numbers and inconsistencies in the arrangement of some Acts as challenges requiring attention.
Fagbemi commended the committee's work, which was conducted through 14 thematic working groups, retreats and technical engagements.
He also acknowledged the contributions of development partners and institutions, including the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme, the Law Commission of England and Wales, LexisNexis South Africa, Lagos State Law Reform Commission and Law Pavilion.
The minister said the quality, accuracy and practical usefulness of the final publication would remain priorities as the government moves towards completing the exercise.
Discussion0