…Says, UK court once warned that leaving a case to Nigeria’s judiciary would be “catastrophic”
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has expressed serious concerns over Nigeria’s judicial system, stressing that the nation’s judiciary is plagued by deep-rooted structural problems for decades now.
Osinbajo, who expressed his concerns at a book launch aired on SYMFONI TV on Thursday, September 11, 2025, noted that even international criticisms underscored the inefficiency and slow pace in delivering justice in the country.
The professor of law, particularly decried what he described as “the endless delays” that characterize court proceedings in the country.
In his words; “One major challenge over the years has been the inability to ensure that cases, particularly civil ones, move swiftly through the courts. Criminal cases face their own unique issues”.
The former Vice President noted the testimony of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria with regards to notorious delays in the system and cited the case between Ipoh and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), during which a UK court commented on the dysfunction of Nigeria’s judiciary.
He particularly observed that the ruling was a “very sad reflection” of the country’s judicial system, adding however that the issues are not insurmountable, but require urgent reforms.
He further said; “Consider the endless adjournments. Preliminary objections are raised on nearly everything, including jurisdiction. Standard phrases are repeated, interlocutory appeals prolong the process, and cases drag on endlessly.
“In such situations, justice is no longer about access—it becomes about trying to leave the system at all.
“The former Chief Justice said that resolving a civil case in Nigeria could take 20 to 30 years. The English Court of Appeal concluded that leaving such a case in Nigeria’s courts would be catastrophic,” Osinbajo stated.
The former Vice President’s comments came against the backdrop of calls for sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s justice delivery system, which stakeholders and observers argue insisted remains one of the biggest obstacles to public trust in governance, foreign investment and economic development of the country.
