By Sandra Kenneth
Participants at the inaugural Conference of All Law Reform Commissions in Nigeria have urged immediate, comprehensive legislative overhauls to rectify structural imbalances in the nation’s federal system, advance true fiscal federalism, and secure absolute autonomy for local governments.
The resolutions were outlined in a formal communiqué released on Friday, capping off a two-day strategic summit held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy in Benin City from September 28 to 29. Hosted by the Edo State Law Reform Commission, the event centered on the theme, “Consolidating Nigeria’s Democracy through Law Reform: Charting the Way Forward.”
The communiqué was jointly endorsed by Prof. Donald Inegbedion, Chairman of the Communiqué Drafting Committee, and Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Roland Otaru, SAN. The gathering featured an opening address by Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, with Federal Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by Wale Fapohunda, SAN, who delivered the keynote address.
Reforming the legislative landscape took center stage as stakeholders called for a strategic trimming of the Exclusive Legislative List to favor state governments, alongside the establishment of full judicial federalism to fortify democratic institutions across the country.
On local government administration, the conference demanded targeted reforms to empower grassroots councils to effectively execute their constitutional obligations, building upon the financial autonomy recently reinforced by the Supreme Court. Furthermore, participants stressed that increased financial allocations to local councils must directly translate into tangible infrastructure, enhanced healthcare, food security, and housing for ordinary citizens, rather than existing merely as a paper policy.
Deliberating on national security and human rights, the assembly maintained that state security measures must continually be subjected to judicial oversight. They tasked civil society organizations with maintaining active vigilance against rights violations committed under the guise of security operations, while advocating a modernized, digital-ready national intelligence-sharing framework.
To curb systemic delays in law reform, the conference proposed a binding legal framework compelling both the executive and legislative arms to review and act upon submitted reform recommendations within strict, specified timeframes.
In electoral matters, stakeholders pressed for statutory changes to ensure that all pre-election and post-election legal disputes are fully resolved prior to voting days or swearing-in ceremonies, a move aimed at eliminating prolonged litigations and restoring public confidence in ballot outcomes.
Rounding out their recommendations, the participants called for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s tertiary education curriculum to integrate modern emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence and robotics—to align the nation’s youth with the demands of the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
