The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, on Thursday urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to elevate the National Judicial Institute to the status of a judicial university, saying it would allow retiring jurists to continue contributing their knowledge and groom the next generation of judicial staff.

Justice Dongban-Mensem made the call during a special sitting at the Abuja Division, held in honour of the outgoing Presiding Judge of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, Justice Hamma Barka, who will retire on April 17, 2026, having attained the statutory retirement age of 70.

In her address, Dongban-Mensem emphasised “the imperative of elevating the National Judicial Institute into the status of a judicial university, where the likes of Hamma Barka will continue to serve the judiciary by grooming the workforce that we need.”

She noted that the judiciary currently spends significant resources on external training, which often fails to meet its specific needs, and argued that a domestic university would ensure staff are well-equipped and tailored to the demands of the Nigerian legal system.

“A lot of resources of the judiciary is being expended on external training of persons who add very little value to adjudication. If we have a judicial university, our staff, from the very lowest rank to the highest, will be well-equipped, will be trained and tailored towards the needs of the judiciary.

“And indeed, being the great nation that we are… we shall extend our wisdom, our institution to our fellow African nations, so we can save hard-earned money to develop our institutions rather than take them out of this country, because we know what we need more than any other person,” the President stated.

Describing Justice Barka as a “gentleman of the highest order” and an “exemplary team player,” the Court of Appeal President noted his over four decades of service across the Benin, Ilorin, Akure, Calabar, and Abuja Divisions.

“We celebrate His Lordship’s remarkable legacy with gratitude and admiration. He will undoubtedly be greatly missed by his brother Justices, the Bar, and the entire judicial community,” she said.

The special sitting, part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Court of Appeal, saw 21 panels constituted, with 63 Justices hearing a total of 330 appeals covering civil, criminal, and commercial matters.

Some sessions were held at the Court of Appeal Headquarters and Abuja Division, while others were conducted in courtrooms provided by judicial partners.

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