The Lagos State Government has inaugurated a Centre for Legal Study, Research and Training, the first of its kind within a Ministry of Justice in Nigeria, to strengthen legal education, research and professional capacity in the justice sector.
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Speaking during the official opening of the centre at the Ministry of Justice, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said infrastructure, legislation and technology alone could not guarantee an effective justice system without continuous investment in the knowledge and professional capacity of those responsible for administering justice.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the effectiveness of the justice system depended on the competence of professionals entrusted with its administration, stressing the need for continuous training and research to keep pace with changing demands.
“However, infrastructure, legislation and technology can only take us so far. A digital platform is only as useful as the professionals who operate it.
“A sound law achieves its purpose only when those responsible for interpreting, applying and enforcing it possess the requisite knowledge and judgment,” the governor said.
He described the centre as an investment in professional competence, institutional knowledge and the capacity of Lagos State’s justice system to respond to the demands of a rapidly evolving society.
Sanwo-Olu said the facility should go beyond hosting lectures and seminars to become a platform for generating ideas that would improve justice administration.
“I expect the centre to be more than a venue for lectures and seminars. It should become a platform for ideas that improve the way justice is administered. Its work should inform policy, strengthen professional standards, preserve institutional knowledge and encourage collaboration among practitioners, academics, public institutions and other stakeholders,” he said.
The governor said the initiative aligned with his administration’s THEMES Plus Agenda, noting that security, economic growth, social inclusion and good governance depended substantially on the effective application of the law.
He said Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial capital and one of Africa’s most dynamic urban centres, required a justice system capable of meeting the expectations of investors, businesses and residents.
“Investors require certainty, businesses require effective dispute resolution, and citizens require institutions that protect their rights and treat them fairly.
“Our responsibility as a government is to ensure that the justice system can meet these expectations,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu listed some of his administration’s interventions in the justice sector, including the inauguration of the Commercial Court at Tapa, renovation of the J.I.C. Taylor Court House and provision of residential accommodation for magistrates and state counsel at Ketu.
He also said the government had upgraded the Office of the Public Defender and the Citizens’ Mediation Centre to bureau status, creating opportunities for career advancement within the Ministry of Justice.
According to him, the appointments of Permanent Secretaries to the Citizens’ Mediation Bureau and the Bureau of the Public Defender demonstrated the benefits of the elevation.
On criminal justice reforms, the governor said his administration had expanded the Lagos Criminal Information System and pursued legislative and policy measures to improve institutional coordination, public safety and the protection of vulnerable persons.
He urged the centre to establish partnerships with the judiciary, the legal profession, universities, development partners and civil society organisations to promote knowledge exchange and professional excellence.
“The development of Lagos must be sustained by institutions that outlive individual officeholders and continue to serve successive generations. Our responsibility is not merely to introduce reforms, but to build the capacity required to sustain, evaluate and improve them,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu commended the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, directors and staff of the ministry for bringing the initiative to fruition.
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, urged Sanwo-Olu to provide adequate funding for the centre to enable it to become a purpose-built institution for professional development.
Alogba, who was represented by the Administrative Judge of the Lagos Judicial Division, Justice Atinuke Ipaye, said the facility would strengthen legal research, improve advocacy and prepare lawyers in the ministry for greater responsibilities, including judicial appointments.
She described the initiative by the Attorney-General as a laudable investment in human capital development.
“Human capital development is the bedrock of progress, productivity and reform. This indeed is a laudable initiative, and I must highly commend the Honourable Attorney-General for not only conceptualising this initiative but also ensuring that it moved from rhetoric to reality,” she said.
The judge said the centre would provide a platform for in-depth research into challenges confronting the justice system and help lawyers improve their preparation and professional performance.
She noted that the Ministry of Justice was effectively the largest law firm in Nigeria, with its lawyers constantly appearing in court to represent the state.
“The Ministry of Justice, as I said, is the largest law firm. They are constantly in court, pushing and advocating. And so, when you have a resource centre like this that prepares them thoroughly, then the judiciary, which is their first and foremost customer, we are partners in progress,” she said.
Ipaye added that improved research and preparation by state counsel would translate into better advocacy, stronger legal precedents and improved justice delivery.
She said the benefits would extend to the judiciary, noting that the Ministry of Justice served as a major source of appointments to the magistracy and the High Court.
“When you have better and well-rounded officers, I think that their appointments will be a shoo-in onto the bench. They would have increased their productivity, they would be well-rounded, and they would be the kind of people that we want on the bench, sound jurists at the end of the day,” she said.
The judge, however, challenged the state government to go beyond the establishment of the centre and invest in its expansion into a fully equipped, purpose-built facility.
“I am looking forward to the day and time when we will have a purpose-built Ministry of Justice Centre for Legal Studies, Training and Research,” she said.
She stressed that the government must demonstrate its commitment through adequate financial support.
“The government needs to put its pocket where its mouth is,” she said.
She also encouraged lawyers in the ministry to take advantage of the facility to pursue postgraduate qualifications, including master’s degrees and PhDs, while improving their professional skills.
Recalling the contributions of former Ministry of Justice officials to the Lagos judiciary, she listed Justices Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Augustine Ade Alabi, Inumidun Akande, Dola Akinkugbe, Ayotunde Phillips and Doris Okuwobi among those who had served in the ministry before joining the bench.
She said the centre could help develop another generation of accomplished legal practitioners and judicial officers.
The judge also offered to serve as a resource person and facilitator at the centre, citing her previous academic experience and 25 years on the Lagos State High Court bench.
“I have offered my services. I have told him I am available. I myself am an institution. I came from the university, so I know a little bit about teaching and imparting knowledge,” she said.
In his welcome address, Pedro, SAN, said the centre represented a deliberate investment in knowledge, institutional development and the future of justice administration in the state.
He described the facility as more than a government building, saying it was established to promote excellence, professional capacity and continuous learning within the justice system.
“The establishment of this centre represents a deliberate statement by the Government of Lagos State that a justice system that wishes to remain strong must continually educate itself, examine itself, reform itself and prepare itself for the future,” he said.
The Attorney-General said the initiative aligned with the state government’s broader development agenda, which prioritised security, education, economic growth and institutional strengthening.
He noted that effective justice administration was essential to economic development, good governance and social inclusion.
“What is a modern economy without the efficient and effective administration of justice? What is good governance without the rule of law and capable institutions? What is social inclusion without access to justice?” he asked.
Pedro also paid tribute to former Attorneys-General, Solicitors-General and Permanent Secretaries whose contributions helped shape the Ministry of Justice.
He said their names had been inscribed on the centre’s Roll of Honour in recognition of their service and lasting contributions to the ministry.
The Attorney-General, who served under three former Attorneys-General before his appointment, acknowledged their influence on his professional development and the establishment of the centre.
He also commended Sanwo-Olu for approving the remodelling of the facility and supporting the initiative.
Pedro said the state planned to incorporate the centre as a not-for-profit entity under a public-private partnership arrangement.
Under the proposed structure, the Ministry of Justice and private-sector partners would jointly manage the centre, with the ministry providing policy direction and strategic oversight, while private partners would contribute funding, expertise, innovation and operational efficiency.
In his goodwill message, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Chief Wole Olanipekun commended Pedro for establishing the centre.
Olanipekun described its establishment as a great achievement, saying the Attorney-General was leaving lasting legacies in the ministry.
“Today is a great day, and I want to congratulate my friend, our brother, the Honourable Attorney-General. You are passing through the Ministry of Justice, and you are leaving legacies behind,” he said.
Olanipekun said the initiative was a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block, adding that the Attorney-General was building on the contributions of past legal practitioners who had served in the ministry.
He said legal institutions were scarce, noting that the new centre would provide an enabling environment for legal practitioners and students to grow in the profession.
He urged students and young lawyers to draw inspiration from distinguished legal practitioners who had passed through the Ministry of Justice.
The senior lawyer, however, stressed the need to maintain the facility, saying its sustainability required adequate personnel and support from people outside the ministry.
“It’s one thing to put this place as it is now. It’s another thing to maintain it. You need personnel. You also need people from outside to come and assist you,” he said.
He appealed to the present and future administrations of the ministry to sustain the centre, describing it as a place that should remain a source of pride and joy for generations.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice has proposed naming the centre after Pedro in recognition of his contributions to the state’s justice sector.
The Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Hameed Oyenuga, disclosed this at the ceremony, explaining that the proposal was intended to honour Pedro’s years of service and preserve his legacy in the ministry.
Oyenuga urged the governor’s representative to convey the ministry’s request for approval.
“At this point, I will implore the representative of Mr Governor to please present before Mr Governor the request of the management of this ministry that this centre be named after Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN,” he said.
He described Pedro’s career as an illustration of dedication to public service and professional excellence, noting that he joined the Lagos State Ministry of Justice in December 1987 and rose through various directorates to become Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in 2008.
According to Oyenuga, Pedro attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in the same year, becoming the first state counsel in the Lagos State public service to achieve the distinction.
He said Pedro’s contributions spanned civil litigation, public prosecution and the development of the state’s justice administration framework.
Pedro was subsequently appointed Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in September 2023.
Oyenuga said the proposed naming was not merely about attaching a distinguished name to a building but recognising a record of service and linking professional excellence with institutional development.
Explaining the vision behind the centre, the Solicitor-General said it was established as a strategic investment in intellectual capacity, professional development and the long-term sustainability of the justice system.
He said the centre would serve as a specialised institution for legal education, research, professional development and capacity building, providing opportunities for law officers to update their knowledge and acquire new competencies.
He added that its activities would go beyond seminars and workshops to include policy-oriented research, documentation and preservation of legal knowledge, as well as the development of innovative approaches to justice delivery.
Oyenuga said the ministry also planned to register the centre with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a corporate entity and subsequently pursue legislation to guarantee its continued existence.
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