By Adenike Ayodele
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday inaugurated the Ministry of Justice Centre for Legal Study, Research and Training to strengthen professional competence and improve justice delivery in the state.

Sanwo-Olu was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hudeyin, at the official opening of the centre in Alausa, Lagos.

The governor said the centre would provide opportunities for continuous professional development, encourage research into practical challenges and strengthen the connection between legal knowledge and public service.

According to him, the establishment of the centre is another deliberate step towards strengthening institutions upon which good governance, public confidence and economic prosperity depend.

“Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial capital and one of Africa’s most dynamic urban centres, requires an effective justice system capable of meeting the demands of its growing economic activities and diverse population.

“Investors require certainty, businesses require effective dispute resolution, and citizens require institutions that protect their rights and treat them fairly.

“Our responsibility as a government is to ensure that the justice system can meet these expectations,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu said his administration had continued to invest in justice-sector reforms under its THEMES Plus Agenda, recognising that security, economic growth, social inclusion and good governance depended on the effective application of the law.

He listed some of the interventions to include the commissioning of the Commercial Court at Tapa, renovation of the J.I.C. Taylor Court House and provision of residential accommodation for Magistrates and State Counsel at Ketu.

The governor also said the administration upgraded the office of the public defender and citizens’ mediation centre to bureau status to create opportunities for career advancement within the ministry.

He added that the state had continued to support criminal justice reforms through improved institutional coordination, technology and expansion of the Lagos Criminal Information System.

Sanwo-Olu, however, stressed that infrastructure, legislation and technology alone could not guarantee effective justice administration without continuous investment in the professionals responsible for delivering justice.

He urged the centre to move beyond lectures and seminars and become a platform for ideas that improve justice administration, strengthen professional standards and shape government policies.

“The research undertaken here must have practical value, and training programmes must ultimately translate into better professional performance and improved public outcomes,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also encouraged the centre to develop partnerships with the Judiciary, legal profession, universities, development partners and civil society to promote knowledge exchange and professional excellence.

The governor commended the ministry for bringing the initiative to fruition.

He further urged those associated with the centre to approach their responsibilities with commitment to excellence, integrity and service to residents.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), in his welcome address, described the centre as the first of its kind within ministries of justice in Nigeria.

Pedro said its establishment demonstrated the state government’s commitment to continuous education, institutional reforms and professional excellence.

He said the facility was not merely another government building but an investment in knowledge, professional capacity and the future of justice in Lagos.

According to him, a justice system that wants to stay strong must keep learning, self-examining, reforming and preparing for the future.

Pedro commended Sanwo-Olu for his visionary leadership and commitment to strengthening institutions in the state.

He said the initiative aligned with the administration’s THEMES Plus Agenda, which emphasised security, education, economic development, social inclusion and preparedness for the future.

Pedro noted that the centre was part of the broader architecture of a greater Lagos, where institutions were strengthened, human capital developed and the rule of law remained the foundation of progress.

He explained that the plan was to incorporate the centre for legal study, research and training as a not-for-profit entity.

He said the ministry would be a founding member alongside private partners under a public-private partnership arrangement, adding that the centre would serve as a legacy project for the development of the state’s justice sector.

The former state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem (SAN), described the achievement as significant, noting that securing funds and obtaining government approval for such project was difficult.

He congratulated Pedro and the Solicitor-General for their efforts in actualising the project.

Kazeem said the greatest strength of any legal institution was its personnel rather than computers or equipment, adding that the centre would help improve the capacity of legal practitioners through research and learning.

The former AG also commended Pedro for promoting the career advancement of ministry officials, noting that several members of the ministry had been appointed permanent secretaries in different ministries.

He described the appointments as a significant achievement, saying the ministry had considerable intellectual capacity that should not be lost.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Wole Olanipekun (SAN), in his goodwill message, described the establishment of the centre as a great achievement, saying Pedro was leaving lasting legacies in the ministry.

Olanipekun said the initiative was a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block, adding that the AG was building on the contributions of past legal practitioners who had served in the ministry.

He explained that law institutions were scarce, noting that the new centre would provide an enabling environment for legal practitioners and students to grow in their profession.

He urged students and young lawyers to draw inspiration from distinguished practitioners who had passed through the ministry.

A human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Femi Falana, urged the state government to enact a law establishing the newly inaugurated centre to ensure its sustainability.

Falana commended Pedro for the initiative, describing it as an important step in preserving the state’s legal history.

He said the centre would help address difficulties in accessing historical legal documents, recalling that he had spent three years searching for a white paper on the Kalakuta incident.

“I do hope that this research centre will fill the gap,” he said.

Falana also urged the state government to obtain historical legal materials from the colonial office in London for preservation and research.

He also called for the inclusion of customary courts in the centre’s research activities, noting that reforms since 1999 had largely focused on courts patronised by the privileged.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), urged the state government to use the centre to improve justice delivery.

Badejo-Okusanya, represented by Mr Adeniyi Quadri, Chairman, NBA Ikeja Branch, described the occasion as a homecoming, saying she had a personal interest in the progress of the ministry.

She said the value of justice sector reforms could only be measured by their impact on people seeking justice.

“That is why this centre matters; it invests in the people whose knowledge and judgment turn the intentions of the government into the daily experience of justice,” she said.

Badejo-Okusanya said the centre would provide law officers with opportunities to ask questions, share professional experiences, conduct research and develop practical solutions to challenges in the justice sector.

She urged the ministry to make learning part of its daily activities, adding that research should translate into better legal advice, more careful drafting, stronger advocacy and fairer decisions.

She also called for the preservation of institutional knowledge and experience from retired and serving officers to benefit younger generations. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Oluwafunke Ishola