AGF Fagbemi Seeks Increased Funding for Justice Ministry, Cites Obsolete Laws and Sector Challenges

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has called for improved funding for the Federal Ministry of Justice, warning that Nigeria’s judicial system is grappling with contemporary challenges amid obsolete laws and resource constraints.

Presenting the Ministry’s 2026 budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, the Minister noted that limited capital releases in the 2025 fiscal year hampered the execution of key projects and reform programmes.

According to him, the Ministry’s performance in 2025 was constrained by several pressing challenges, including infrastructural deficiencies affecting workspaces, inadequate funding and delayed budgetary releases, as well as human rights concerns such as prison overcrowding and limited access to legal aid.

Fagbemi stressed that without increased budgetary support and legislative reforms, efforts to modernise the justice sector and address emerging legal issues would remain difficult.