Tinubu Committed to Efficient, Accountable Justice Sector, Says Fagbemi

* As Justice Ministry goes digital

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Sunday, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to a justice sector that will deliver timely outcomes to Nigerians. 

Fagbemi made the claim at the launch of the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) by the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja, where he also inaugurated the renovated staff clinic, sports centre, creche, and staff canteen.

A statement by the AGF’s media aide, Kamarudeen Ogundele, noted that the ECMS is a digital platform that enables the ministry to create, process, approve, store and retrieve official documents electronically.

The statement noted those at the launch included the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack; the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Mrs Beatrice Jeddy-Agba; Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Interior, and Health and social welfare; as well as heads of agencies under the ministry.

Fagbemi, in his keynote address, said the launch marked the ministry’s departure from the era of manual, unstructured information management. 

He said: “By digitizing our correspondences, emails, and legal documents, we are dismantling the bureaucratic bottlenecks that have historically slowed the wheels of justice. 

“This transition to a paperless environment is a cornerstone of our digital transformation strategy, specifically aligned with Pillar 5 of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP25).

“The initiative is also firmly situated within the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President and the National Policy on Justice. These frameworks are unequivocal: justice institutions must be efficient, accountable, digitally enabled and capable of delivering timely outcomes to Nigerians.

“The ECMS is therefore not merely a technological intervention; it is a governance reform that strengthens institutional memory, improves decision-making, secures records, and enforces discipline in workflow and accountability. This is the standard expected of a modern justice sector. Our goal is clear: to build a justice sector that is modern, efficient and above all, citizen-driven.”

The AGF said the ministry under his leadership has prioritised staff welfare and workplace modernization to create an environment where excellence can thrive, mirroring the service-wide reforms spearheaded by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

He thanked the Aig-Imouekhede Foundation, Prof Koyinsola Ajayi of Olaniwun Ajayi and co, staff, sister ministries and partners for their support.

Jeddy-Agba, in her welcome address, said the ministry had successfully scanned and uploaded 6,241 physical files comprising 331,297 pages onto the 1Gov Enterprise Content Management System in the last eight weeks.

“Beyond digitization, we also achieved 100% official email coverage for all staff, conducted multiple tiers of ECM and digital skills training, activated departmental champions, and established clear SOPs and workflows for document tracking, approvals and departmental workflow.

“For too long, service delivery in the ministry has been weighed down by challenges associated with managing physical documents, manual correspondences, and the inherent delays of a paper-heavy system. 

“The ECMS ‘Go-Live’ ceremony we celebrate today marks the end of that era. By digitizing our emails, files and communications, we are adopting a modern, paperless culture that prioritizes efficiency and transparency,” she added.