Court of Appeal president calls for judicial university status for NJI

Court of Appeal President Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem urges elevation of the National Judicial Institute to a judicial university to train staff and involve retiring jurists

The Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem has called on the Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to elevate the National Judicial Institute to the status of a judicial university, arguing that such a move would enable retiring jurists to continue contributing their knowledge and groom the next generation of judicial staff.

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Justice Dongban-Mensem made the appeal during a special sitting of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division held in honour of the outgoing Presiding Judge of the Abuja Division, Justice Hamma Barka, who is set to retire on April 17, 2026, after reaching the statutory retirement age of 70.

Highlighting the inefficiencies of current external training programmes, she emphasised that a domestic judicial university would ensure all staff, from junior clerks to senior officers, are trained specifically for the needs of the Nigerian judiciary.

“A lot of resources of the judiciary is being expended on external training of persons who add very little value to adjudication.

If we have a judicial university, our staff, from the very lowest rank to the highest, will be well-equipped, will be trained and tailored towards the needs of the judiciary,” she stated.

Justice Dongban-Mensem further proposed that such an institution could extend its expertise to fellow African nations, fostering regional legal development while conserving Nigeria’s judicial resources.

Describing Justice Barka as a “gentleman of the highest order” and an “exemplary team player,” she acknowledged his more than four decades of service across the Benin, Ilorin, Akure, Calabar, and Abuja Divisions.

The special sitting, part of the Court of Appeal’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, included 21 panels with 63 justices hearing 330 appeals covering civil, criminal, and commercial matters.

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Sessions were conducted at both the Court of Appeal Headquarters and the Abuja Division, with some held in courtrooms provided by judicial partners.

Quadri Olaitan