The National Judicial Council (NJC) has called on Nigerian judges to enhance their performance or risk being removed from office.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, made this statement at the NJC’s annual conference on judicial performance evaluation in Abuja.
Kekere-Ekun expressed concern over the growing backlog of cases, with over 243,000 cases pending in superior courts. She noted that some judges had failed to deliver a single judgment in a quarter, which she described as unacceptable.
Judges were encouraged to explore the use of technology, case management systems, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to speed up proceedings.
The NJC warned that consistently low-performing judges may be recommended for removal, emphasizing that judicial effectiveness must balance both speed and quality of decisions.