Fashola Advocates for Judicial Ombudsman in Lagos Justice System

Babatunde Fashola (SAN), a former Lagos State Governor, called for the establishment of a judicial ombudsman and a comprehensive survey of court users to evaluate the effectiveness of Lagos State's justice system. He made this proposal during the keynote address at the 2026/2027 Lagos State Judiciary New Legal Year Summit, held at Jewel Aieda, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The summit's theme was “Justice as an Economic Infrastructure: Strengthening the Judiciary for Africa’s Fifth Largest Economy.” Fashola emphasized the importance of assessing the justice system beyond legal principles by examining user experiences. He urged the Lagos judiciary to conduct a professional survey to determine the duration of cases, the handling of commercial disputes, and the enforcement of judgments.

Fashola also highlighted the significance of land and property disputes for business activities and questioned the judiciary's responsiveness to such issues. He recalled reforms from his tenure, advocating for periodic self-examination of the justice system and greater focus on informal dispute-resolution mechanisms.