Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike has reiterated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to support the judiciary to improve productivity, reduce delays and uphold the independence and integrity of the judiciary.
Wike disclosed this in his goodwill message at the Special Court session that formally marked the commencement of the 2025/2026 Legal Year of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Monday.
The Minister revealed that budgetary provisions had been made to construct additional housing for judges of the FCT High Court to alleviate the housing shortage and ensure that all judicial officers have adequate accommodation.
He revealed that “under the decisive action of the President, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) formally handed over the Certificate of Occupancy of the Supreme Court land and began fencing the entire perimeter of the entire complex to safeguard the nation’s supreme court against encroachments and security breaches.
“This swift and long-awaited intervention provides the Supreme Court of our beloved country with much-needed confidence-building that has not been achieved under previous administrations. These confidence-building actions reach every arm of the judiciary.”
“Well-equipped court facilities, courtrooms and supporting infrastructure ensure that judicial work is carried out in a professional, safe and conducive environment.”
The Minister also listed several interventions and supports by the President to the judiciary through the FCTA, including: the ongoing construction of safe and suitable residential quarters for heads of courts within the FCT and the ongoing construction of a new trial court complex in Jabi District to expand access to justice for residents of the FCT and reduce the burden on the existing judicial infrastructure.
Others include the construction of the staff quarters of the Nigerian Law School at the FCT, as well as the design and construction of the Abuja Court of Appeal Division Complex and the residences of the judges of the Abuja Division of the National Industrial Court and the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
He stated that the projects were designed to directly support judges in the performance of their duties, saying that “the reasoning of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that providing comfortable and safe accommodation enables judges to focus entirely on the timely and efficient administration of justice, free from the distractions of inadequate living conditions.”
Reiterating the FCTA’s continued support for the implementation of judicial reforms, Wike said: “As we move towards the new Legal Year, the FCTA Administration remains determined to further support the implementation of judicial reforms. Our priorities for the Legal Year 2025/2026 focus on consolidating the achievements made and expanding support where it is needed most.
“We will aggressively push for timely completion of the new Chief Court Residences and Jabi Magistrate Court Complex to ensure their early utilization.
“In addition, we have made budgetary provisions to construct additional housing for FCT High Court judges to mitigate the housing shortage and ensure that all judicial officers have adequate accommodation.
“We will continue to collaborate with the various judiciaries based in the FCT (including the Court of Appeal) to support the digitalization of court procedures and records to improve efficiency, reduce manual processes and accelerate the delivery of justice.
“Let me state that justice should never be compromised under any circumstances as it is the foundation of our democracy and the safeguarding of public trust. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders, judges, legal professionals, government agencies and citizens alike to work collaboratively to strengthen and improve our judicial system. I am confident that the beginning of this Legal Year 2025/2026 will herald a period of unprecedented success, wisdom and efficiency for the Court of Appeal.”
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