By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has applauded the launch of the Supreme Court Electronic Filing (E-Filing) System and the Nigeria Case Management System (NCMS), describing the initiative as a bold step towards modernising Nigeria’s judiciary and warning that institutions must embrace innovation or risk becoming irrelevant.
Speaking at the official unveiling of the digital platforms, attended by senior judicial officers, legal practitioners and key stakeholders in the justice sector, Osigwe declared that the Supreme Court had chosen the path of innovation over stagnation. “The Supreme Court has decided that it is better to innovate than to die,” he said, stressing that institutions must continually evolve to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
The NBA president noted that the invitation to the launch immediately reminded him of the need for institutions to adapt to technological changes or face decline. He cited the example of Nokia, once a dominant global technology company that lost its market leadership after failing to keep pace with innovation.
According to him, the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, must lead the drive for technological advancement in the administration of justice by deploying digital tools that make justice delivery more efficient, accessible and responsive to the needs of litigants and legal practitioners.
Osigwe described the introduction of the Electronic Filing System and the Nigeria Case Management System as landmark achievements in the ongoing digital transformation of Nigeria’s justice sector.
He also reminded lawyers that the legal profession is not immune to technological disruption, insisting that embracing innovation is no longer a matter of choice.
“We either innovate or we die,” he said, emphasizing that technology has become indispensable to the future of legal practice.
Highlighting the NBA’s own digital reforms, Osigwe disclosed that the association had relaunched its Digital Stamp and Seal and introduced the NBA Digital Signature Studio to simplify legal practice, improve efficiency and enhance the authenticity of legal documents.
He assured the judiciary of the association’s full support in ensuring the successful implementation of the new platforms, revealing that the NBA would organise nationwide awareness campaigns and capacity-building programmes to equip lawyers with the knowledge required to effectively use the Electronic Filing System.
The NBA president congratulated the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, GCON, the Justices of the Supreme Court, the Chief Registrar and the entire judiciary for what he described as a courageous step towards transforming justice delivery in Nigeria.
Osigwe expressed confidence that the successful deployment of the Electronic Filing System and the Nigeria Case Management System would improve access to justice, strengthen case management, reduce delays in judicial proceedings and bring Nigeria’s justice system closer to global best practices.
