The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has revealed measures being adopted by the federal government to address prison congestion and enhance the efficiency of the nation’s criminal justice system.
One of such measures, Fagbemi said, is the development of the National Minimum Standards (NMS) framework, meant to ensure uniformity, efficiency and due process in the administration of criminal justice across all states
Another measure, according to the AGF, is that institutionalisation of the the National Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform (NWG-CJR), which is now being housed in the Federal Ministry of Justice to ensure sustainability and national ownership.
Fagbemi spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the National Technical Review and Evaluation Conference (NTREC 2.0) on the review of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJLs) of states.
The event, being attended by criminal justice stakeholders drawn from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was jointly organised by the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMJ) and the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
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Represented by Mrs. Leticia Ayoola-Daniels (a director in the FMJ), Fagbemi said he would soon sign the NMS framework document, having been subjected to rigorous validation.
He added that to ensure accessibility and comprehension, efforts are underway to translate the NMS document into the three major Nigerian languages, and conduct sensitization workshops and capacity-building programs across the six geopolitical zones
Fagbemi added that his ministry, in its committment to driving systemic reforms in the criminal justice system, has also evolved series of strategic interventions.
Some of such interventions, he said, includes the development of the custodial and non-custodial sentencing guidelines to promote non-custodial measures for minor offenses, in line with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, and expanding restorative justice (RJ) practices in the FCT.
Another initiative, the AGF noted, is that Institutionalization of restorative justice by strengthening reconciliation and non-custodial measures under Part 44 of ACJA, 2015, through the development of a restorative justice framework for the FCT; training of justice actors, and stakeholder collaborations for nationwide adoption.
Among others initiatives, Fagbemi said, is that launch of the Record of Arrest Database, a tool that enhances accountability and transparency in criminal justice administration by tracking arrests, detentions, and the movement of suspects across law enforcement agencies.
He added that the system will soon be fully operational to ensure compliance with Section 29(5) of ACJA, 2015.
The President of the CSLS, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) explained that the two-day conference marks the completion of a crucial phase that began in 2024 with a nationwide assessment of criminal justice systems across the country.
Prof. Akinseye-George said participants will, on the first day, peer-review the findings from the Baseline Assessment Report, which captures the current state of justice systems in all states.
He added that the final report, ranking states based on their performance, will be released on Thursday, following which the latest National Scoresheet will be published, showing which states are making the most progress, and awards given.
The CSLS President, who disclosed that awards would equally be handed to top-performing states, recognizing their commitment to justice reform, explained that “the e NMS provides a structured way to evaluate and improve criminal justice reforms across Nigeria.
“It serves three main purposes:
*Setting a National Benchmark – Establishing clear guidelines to measure the performance of states in implementing ACJA.
*Encouraging Healthy Competition – Motivating states to improve by comparing progress and rewarding excellence.
*Strengthening Advocacy – Providing concrete data to push for better funding and policy improvements.”