In an era when the judiciary must simultaneously guard the frontiers of constitutionalism and adjudicate society’s most intractable disputes, the imperatives of competence, ethics, and institutional resilience are no longer optional ideals but existential necessities.
The Nigerian Bench, long burdened by the twin spectres of public distrust and systemic inertia, now finds itself at a crossroads where renewal or decline will define its legacy. Within this fraught landscape, the interventions of Chief Justice of Nigeria in justice sector concerns is prime
Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, CJN has stood out as both corrective and restorative. By insisting upon uncompromising ethical benchmarks, she has fostered a culture in which the judiciary cannot be an accomplice to impunity, but rather a sanctuary of accountability. The few sanctions so far are not punitive but corrective instruments, designed to recalibrating the moral compass of judicial officers.
Equally significant is her prodigious learning and judicious temperament, epitomising the rare blend of intellectual rigour and principled restraint that the Nigerian judiciary so desperately requires in its rebirth.
Around the world, courts are grappling with unprecedented pressures: the technological transformation of litigation, backlog and access to justice, rising public distrust in judiciary, the cross-border nature of commerce and crime, and the persistent demands for inclusivity and fairness in justice delivery. Nigeria is no exception.
Indeed, in recent years, calls for judicial reform have intensified amid concerns backlog, inconsistency in decisions, integrity and recruitment patterns. At the centre of this conversation lies the National Judicial Institute (NJI) — an institution tasked with preparing judicial officers to meet the demands of their office in a changing legal landscape.
As the apex training body for Nigeria’s judiciary, the NJI is more than an administrative appendage; it is a crucible for shaping the quality of justice the nation delivers.
It is a hub for judicial philosophy, ethics, and policy advancement — the forum where the judiciary can reflect on its role in society, and equip itself to handle emerging legal challenges.
In a rapidly globalising world, with technology disrupting the NJI’s role in preparing the Bench for these realities is critical. The leadership must be an ethical hacker more than a manager, tested reformer, and a guardian of institutional ideals.
Justice Babatunde Adeniran Adejumo, embodies this rare combination. Appointed as Administrator of the NJI in July 2025 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun The appointment was not merely ceremonial recognition of past service; it was a strategic decision — a deliberate choice to entrust the NJI’s future to a leader whose entire career has been defined by reformist zeal and administrative zest.
He was the pioneering President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Justice Adejumo enters the role with a distinguished record of institutional transformation.
But unlike many who move directly from legal practice to the Bench, Adejumo’s path was more varied — and this variety would later become one of his greatest strengths as a judicial leader.
In January 1992, he was a member of the Ondo State House of Assembly. There, he gained a deep appreciation for the interplay between law-making and governance, and how judicial interpretation must be informed by a nuanced understanding of public policy.
In November 1998, when he was appointed a Judge of the Ondo State Judiciary. In 2003, then-President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as the pioneer President of the newly reconstituted National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), and he was sworn in on May 5 of that year.
In today’s judicial recruitment climate, he would doubtless have been underscored as politically exposed, having once served within the lawmaking arm of government. Yet, it was precisely this rare confluence of legislative insight and judicial acumen that endowed him with a distinctive vantage, from which his judicial interventions drew both depth and authority.
The NICN was, at the time, a little-known body with limited jurisdiction, minimal public visibility, and scant resources. In sixteen years, Adejumo reshaped it to powerhouse of labour jurisprudence, respected both nationally and internationally.
Perhaps most significantly, Adejumo brought to the NICN a leadership style that combined administrative hands-on involvement with strategic vision. His emphasis on modernisation was not mere rhetoric — it became embedded in the institutional culture of the NICN.
Under his leadership, the NICN expanded its physical presence to 28 states, decentralising access to labour justice. The court became the first court in Nigeria to adopt e-filing systems and later virtual hearings, positioning it at the forefront of judicial technology adoption.
In 2019, I had occasion to file processes on the very same day before the High Court of Rivers State, the National Industrial Court, and the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
The contrast in institutional culture could not have been more striking. At the NICN, the courtesy, efficiency, and comportment of the staff were exemplary—indeed, they conducted themselves with professionalism that belied their modest remuneration, as though their service was animated by something higher than pecuniary reward.
In NICN, hearing notices are generated and dispatched with admirable precision, often days ahead of the scheduled sitting, reflecting an ethos of orderliness that other courts would do well to emulate.
In a single phrase, the staff of the NICN are ethically contented. Such a culture does not emerge by chance; it is the unmistakable product of leadership that prizes discipline, values systems, and institutional dignity. The court earned a reputation for speed, transparency, and responsiveness, with case management reforms reducing procedural bottlenecks.
Back to the National Judicial Institute (NJI), the institute occupies a pivotal place in Nigeria’s legal architecture. Its mandate is both broad and vital: to provide continuing education, training, and development for judicial officers and their supporting staff across all tiers of the judiciary. This includes organising courses, seminars, lectures, workshops, and other activities designed to enhance competence, ethical conduct, and jurisprudential adaptability.
Justice Adejumo’s new role invites comparison with leaders of other judicial training institutions worldwide — not merely for the sake of analogy, but to illuminate the attributes that make for successful stewardship of such bodies. There are various state-level judicial training institutions and organisations in the United States. And in China, there is National Judicial College (NJC) which offers education and training programs for Chinese judges. It also hosts training for foreign judges and judicial officers.
