The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has urged judges across the country to adopt proactive case management strategies to reduce court delays, improve judicial efficiency and strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
Speaking at the opening of the National Workshop on Case Management for Judges of the Superior Courts of Record in Abuja, Justice Kekere-Ekun said the effectiveness of any judiciary is measured not only by the quality of its judgements but also by the speed and efficiency with which cases are resolved.
She warned that prolonged litigation, frequent adjournments, procedural abuse and poor scheduling practices continue to undermine access to justice, increase legal costs and erode public trust in the courts.
“To the ordinary litigant, justice delayed often translates into justice denied,” she said, noting that lengthy legal disputes also create uncertainty for businesses and investors while weakening confidence in the rule of law.
The Chief Justice stressed that effective case management has become a key benchmark of judicial performance globally. She called on judges to exercise greater control over proceedings, enforce timelines and maximise pre-trial procedures to reduce mounting case backlogs.
Highlighting the growing role of technology in modern justice systems, she encouraged judicial officers to embrace electronic filing, virtual hearings, digital case-tracking systems and automated scheduling tools.
According to her, these innovations are essential to improving efficiency while safeguarding fairness and due process.
Drawing on experiences from jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, Singapore and South Africa, Justice Kekere-Ekun said active judicial leadership and structured case management have enabled courts to improve efficiency and significantly reduce delays.
She observed that increasing commercial activity, constitutional litigation and rising public expectations are placing greater pressure on Nigeria’s judicial system, making continuous reforms and stricter procedural discipline imperative.
The Chief Justice said the workshop is designed to equip judges with practical tools for docket control, electronic case management, effective scheduling and timely judgement delivery.
She urged participants to identify procedural bottlenecks and adopt reforms that enhance efficiency without compromising fairness.
Expressing confidence in the initiative, Justice Kekere-Ekun said the programme would generate practical solutions for reducing delays, improving judicial productivity and building a judiciary that is technologically responsive and worthy of public trust.
Also speaking, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Babatunde Adejumo, underscored the importance of proactive case management in improving court efficiency and ensuring timely justice delivery across Africa’s most populous nation.
He said effective case management is critical to reducing case backlogs, eliminating administrative bottlenecks and preventing unnecessary delays in court proceedings.
Justice Adejumo added that modern judicial administration requires judges to move beyond their traditional adjudicative role and actively supervise cases from filing to conclusion.
He noted that such an approach strengthens access to justice, promotes fairness and enhances public confidence in the legal system.
He also highlighted the importance of judicial education and leadership training in equipping judges with the contemporary skills needed to manage increasingly complex caseloads.
The workshop, organised by the National Judicial Institute, is expected to strengthen the capacity of judges to manage cases more efficiently, contributing to a faster, more responsive and more effective justice system in Nigeria.
, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has urged judges across the country to adopt proactive case management strategies to reduce court delays, improve judicial efficiency and strengthen public confidence in the justice system.){kind=link}