The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved the award of contracts for the digitisation of the FCT High Courts. The project is expected to commence within two weeks. Salman Dako, General Counsel and Mandate Secretary of the FCT Legal Services Secretariat, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja after the FCT Administration Executive Council meeting.
Nigeria’s judiciary relies heavily on manual processes. Court records are handwritten. Filing is physical. Case tracking is difficult. This contributes to delays. In 2023, the Chief Justice of Nigeria called for digital transformation. Several states have begun digitisation. Lagos and Kaduna have made progress. The FCT is now following. The project covers 67 courtrooms.
Dako said the approval aims to transform the administration of justice. It will replace manual record-keeping with a modern, automated judicial management platform. The project provides electronic recording and case management facilities. “The scope of this project is the digitalisation of the High Courts in the FCT,” he said. “We are transitioning the High Court from manual recording to digital recording, and electronic case management.”
The FCT judiciary has faced challenges with handwritten court notes, manual filing and physical case tracking. These contribute to delays. Dako said the new system would address them. “Transitioning to digital court management will resolve the persistent challenges linked to manual documentation,” he said.
The system will enable electronic case filing. Legal practitioners and litigants can file documents online. This reduces dependence on physical documents. “I believe that this will be a very great improvement for us,” Dako said. “Some judicial divisions have already started this outside the FCT. This is the future and it is time we go along this route.”
The contract period is two weeks. Progress is expected to become visible after that. The initiative is expected to set a new benchmark for judicial efficiency in the capital.
Winners: Litigants, who gain faster processes. Lawyers, who gain electronic filing. Judges, who gain better case management. The FCT judiciary, which gains efficiency. Contractors, who win the contracts. Losers: Court clerks, whose manual roles change. Litigants without digital access. The system, if implementation is poor. Taxpayers, if contracts are inflated.
Bottom Line: The FCT is digitising 67 courtrooms. Manual records are being replaced. Electronic filing is coming. The contract is two weeks. Delivery is the test.