The Chief Executive Officer of The Hague Institute for Innovative Law (HiiL), Sam Muller, expressed regret over the diminishing respect for the rule of law and justice in Nigeria and other global regions.
This concern was disclosed during the presentation of the 2023 report on justice needs and satisfaction in Nigeria.
Muller emphasized that the decline in the rule of law, as also noted in the World Justice Project’s 2023 report, is disheartening for those striving to build nations where peace and justice prevail.
Despite the somber observation, he acknowledged a positive shift in the last five years towards a more people-centric approach to justice.
“A task force, comprising leaders from various parts of the world, conducted a thorough analysis and found that the economic and developmental costs of this situation are measurable. Alarmingly, two-thirds of the global population lack adequate access to justice, and the situation is not improving despite our efforts to bring about positive change,” Muller added.
The Country Representative of HiiL, Ijeoma Nwafor, outlined the organization’s initiatives, including a justice acceleration program, a scaling program, and innovation labs in Imo, Kaduna, and Ogun states.
Presenting research findings from Imo, Kaduna, and Ogun, Theresa Smout, the Programme Director of Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda, suggested that Nigeria has reached a critical juncture where outcomes, solutions, and impact can effectively address the justice gap through innovative approaches.
Felix Okojie, a representative of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, expressed satisfaction with the research results from the three states. He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with HiiL to replicate the research findings nationwide.
