Zamfara Assembly, CSO Harp On Strengthening Justice System

A civil society organisation, International Alert in collaboration with Zamfara State government, has stressed the need to strengthen inclusive and conflict sensitive justice systems for sustainable peace in Nigeria.

Speaking at a press conference held in Lagos, on the just concluded legislative experience sharing and peer learning visits to Kaduna and Lagos states, Speaker, Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail said, “Our goal is to get it right, which is why we visited other states with similar agencies to learn from their experience and adopt best practices. After consultation, we observed that Lagos and Kaduna states have multi-door courthouses. This informed our decision to select these states.

“Therefore, we decided to be here to interact with them, learn from their experience, on the general operation of their agencies, implementation challenges and the impact on the citizens.

This will definitely provide us with the opportunity to review the bill before us, insert the observations and all the necessary adjustments for the betterment of our people.”

The conference held yesterday was supported by the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria Programme (SPRiNG) with the aims of enhancing the capacity of government institutions and stakeholders to manage natural resource induced conflicts and improve security governance through strategic engagements, policy development, and coalition building.

While the consultative visit to Kaduna and Lagos is said to be timely having identified that access to justice remains a major challenge in Nigeria, particularly in states where conventional courts are overburdened, costly, and time-consuming.

In his address, the country director, International Alert Nigeria, Kingsley Udo expressed pride as a Nigerian to see that the lawmakers of Zamfara State did not choose to go abroad to learn and adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) models, instead, they came to Lagos where practical, proven systems are already transforming the way justice is delivered, making it more accessible, more affordable, and more trusted by citizens.

He emphasised that access to justice is not a privilege but a right. When denied, grievances fester and conflict escalates.

“As an organisation, we disrupt the cycle of violence by promoting inclusive, conflict sensitive, and locally adapted justice systems. By imbibing the trailblazing ADR models pioneered in Lagos and Kaduna, Zamfara can restore peace, justice, and progress to its communities,” Udo said.

According to him, the Zamfara ADR, once established, is expected to serve as a model for other states, just as Lagos has, showing that local solutions can address Nigeria’s justice challenges just as International Alert Nigeria is further committed to expanding its work across Nigeria.