Lagos CJ Urges Sanwo-Olu to Fund New Legal Research Centre

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to adequately fund the newly established Centre for Legal Study, Research and Training, warning that sustained financial support is essential to the centre’s success and its development into a fully equipped institution.

Alogba, represented by the Administrative Judge of the Lagos Division, Justice Atinuke Ipaye, made the call on Wednesday at the centre’s official inauguration at the Ministry of Justice in Alausa, Ikeja.

She said the facility, described as the first of its kind within a Ministry of Justice in Nigeria, could significantly strengthen legal research and professional development, as well as improve the quality of advocacy by lawyers in the state’s public service.

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However, she challenged the government to do more than establish the centre, urging it to provide the resources needed to develop it into a purpose-built institution.

Justice Ipaye described the Ministry of Justice as effectively Nigeria’s largest law firm, given the volume of litigation and courtroom responsibilities its lawyers handle. She said stronger research and professional preparation would lead to better advocacy, stronger legal precedents and improved justice delivery.

She added that the centre could help prepare ministry lawyers for greater responsibilities, including appointments to the magistracy and High Court bench. She urged them to use its facilities to pursue postgraduate qualifications and strengthen their professional skills.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said an effective justice system depended not only on infrastructure, legislation and technology, but also on the knowledge and professional competence of those responsible for administering justice.

He described the centre as an investment in institutional knowledge and human capital, saying it should grow beyond a venue for lectures and seminars into a platform for research, policy development and professional collaboration.

He said the initiative aligned with his administration’s THEMES Plus Agenda, as effective justice administration was critical to economic growth, investor confidence, good governance and the protection of citizens’ rights.

In his address, former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) commended the Ministry for establishing the centre, describing it as a lasting contribution to the state’s justice system.

He cautioned, however, that sustaining the facility would be a challenge, and said its success would depend on adequate staffing and support from individuals and institutions outside the ministry.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Hameed Oyenuga, said the ministry planned to register the centre with the Corporate Affairs Commission and later pursue legislation to ensure its institutional continuity.

He said the long-term vision was to create a digitally connected institution that would promote legal research, continuous professional development and collaboration with local and international legal institutions.