Ubani to Tinubu: Match judicial reform promises with timelines, targets and funding

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Monday Ubani, has said President Bola Tinubu’s recent comments on judicial reform are commendable but insufficient without concrete timelines, measurable targets and dedicated funding to overhaul Nigeria’s slow and overstretched justice system. 

Ubani, speaking in an interview on Tuesday, acknowledged that the president touched on long-standing problems facing the judiciary funding, welfare, digitisation, infrastructure and administrative independence but stressed that intent alone cannot fix a system collapsing under delays. “These are right statements that the president has made unwavering commitment, good intent, and identifying the problems,” he said. “But Nigerians are tired of promises without implementation.”

He praised Tinubu for breaking a 16-year deadlock by approving the upward review of judges’ salaries and allowances, noting that improved welfare is long overdue. “President Tinubu deserves credit but welfare improvements alone can not fix the structural inefficiencies in the system. The judiciary is still suffering because there is no performance framework compelling courts, agencies, and ministries to work within defined goals.”

Ubani insisted that Nigeria’s justice sector must adopt measurable timelines, particularly in tackling case backlogs, digitising court processes, and modernising administrative operations. Citing Singapore’s judicial reforms, he said: “We can borrow from global examples like Singapore, which temporarily expanded its judicial workforce to clear outstanding cases.” He added that any reform must be backed by targeted, ring-fenced funding to avoid becoming another political statement.

Highlighting the severity of delays, Ubani drew attention to cases still stuck for years at the Court of Appeal, warning that systemic stagnation is now undermining public confidence. “Several cases in the Court of Appeal 2022, 2017, 2018 are still lingering with no definite date. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said. While acknowledging improvements at the Supreme Court under the current Chief Justice of Nigeria, he added: “At the Court of Appeal level, we are still having issues. We are still having very big issues.”

He also clarified his stance on judicial welfare and independence, supporting better remuneration but warning against state governors donating houses, vehicles, and benefits to judges, saying it compromises institutional autonomy. “There is no way you can talk about a judicial sector that is functional without addressing their welfare, but the issue is the executive being the one providing some of the welfare package to the justice sector.”

Ubani further argued that Nigeria can not progress without confronting long-standing structural defects such as outdated procedures, manual recording, poor infrastructure, and insufficient judicial personnel. “We must eliminate the issue of delay, tidy up backlog of cases in the Supreme Court, and even at the lowest courts. Recruit more members into the judicial sector, back it up with budget, give measurable targets, and set a timeline within which to achieve all this.”

He stressed that Nigerians want justice that is fast, fair, and accessible, warning that persistent delays fuel corruption, weaken democracy and endanger national security. “The president’s speech marks a positive beginning, but Nigerians will judge the administration on delivery, not promises,” Ubani added.