Fashola Advocates Justice System Review as Economic Infrastructure

Babatunde Fashola, SAN, the former Governor of Lagos State, delivered a keynote address at the 2026 New Legal Year Summit in Lekki, Lagos, advocating for a comprehensive review of the justice system's user experience. He emphasized that the judiciary should be regarded as critical economic infrastructure, particularly for Africa's fifth-largest economy.

Fashola urged stakeholders to assess the effectiveness, responsiveness, and accessibility of the justice system, suggesting that a professional survey be commissioned to evaluate the current experiences of litigants. He highlighted the importance of resolving land and property disputes for economic development and questioned the judiciary's responsiveness to business-related disputes.

Fashola recalled past reforms in the Lagos justice sector and called for greater attention to informal dispute-resolution mechanisms to alleviate pressure on formal courts. He stressed the need for direct feedback from court users to ensure the judiciary meets their expectations.