The Nigerian government has conducted a comprehensive review of 932 federal enactments, resulting in the identification of 269 obsolete laws. This review is part of the proposed 2025 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, according to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
Fagbemi highlighted that this initiative aims to ensure federal laws are coherent, up to date, and accessible, adapting to the country’s evolving needs. The next steps will involve presenting the report to President Bola Tinubu for legislative consideration by the National Assembly.
The Attorney-General emphasized the importance of ongoing collaboration with the National Assembly for timely review of proposed measures. He also noted the necessity for a sustainable framework for regular updates to federal laws, beyond just the upcoming 2025 edition.
Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, the committee’s chairman, referred to the final report presented as the endpoint of an extensive national exercise and a stepping stone towards future legal reforms. The committee was tasked with reviewing federal statutes, harmonizing related provisions, and updating laws to align with constitutional developments.
Several issues were discovered during the review, including outdated statutory language and low statutory fines and fees, some as trivial as ₦10 or ₦50, which are not reflective of current economic realities. Fapohunda suggested legislative action to address these outdated legal provisions.
Furthermore, the committee recommended that an advisory note be issued by the Attorney-General to various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to guide them on reviewing and updating their enabling laws and subsidiary legislation.
Fapohunda also called for the establishment of a centralized repository of federal legislation, aiming to improve access to current laws and facilitate ongoing revisions. The committee’s efforts included consultations with various legal organizations for technical and comparative insights.
As part of ensuring the accuracy and integrity of laws, Fapohunda urged the Federal Ministry of Justice to develop a process for addressing any errors post-publication, advocating for a structured mechanism to prevent lengthy gaps between law revision exercises.
The final report and draft of the proposed 2025 Laws of the Federation have been submitted for further executive actions.
