Judicial College Of England And Wales Partners With Nigerian Judiciary On Trainer Capacity Building
The National Judicial Institute (NJI) recently hosted a Training-of-Trainers Programme in collaboration with the Judicial College of England and Wales, marking another milestone in the long-standing partnership between the two institutions. The programme, held at the NJI headquarters, brought together delegates from the Judicial College, African House London, and participants from various jurisdictions for two days of intensive instruction and knowledge sharing.
In his opening remarks, NJI Administrator, Hon. Justice Salisu Garba Abdullahi, FCIARB, FCJEI, welcomed the delegates and underscored the transformative potential of the Training-of-Trainers initiative. “This programme is a vital step in developing effective judicial learning programmes. We are committed to sustaining this collaboration and will be implementing post-training assessments to enhance future sessions,” he said.
Kolade Umoru, Head of Information at NJI, reiterated the Administrator’s appreciation for the support provided by the Judicial College of England and Wales. He specifically acknowledged Deputy Senior District Judge, His Honour Judge Tan Ikram, CBE, DL, and the team from African House London led by Emmanuel Finndoro-Obasi for their ongoing partnership.
Judge Tan Ikram expressed gratitude for the invitation and highlighted the programme’s objective. “Our aim is to equip trainers with the skills to design and deliver effective judicial training courses. This two-day programme is a platform for sharing best practices and strengthening the capacity of judicial officers,” he remarked.
On the second day, the delegation from the Judicial College joined NJI Administrator for a courtesy call on Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Kudirat M. O Kekere-Ekun, GCON, FNJI. Judge Tan Ikram explained that the visit was an opportunity to express thanks and to brief the Chief Justice on the partnership, particularly in areas of capacity-building and training magistrates as trainers.
The Chief Justice welcomed the delegation, noting that the exchange of judicial practices—particularly those from the United Kingdom—has had a significant impact on the Nigerian judiciary. “The continued interaction between our judiciary and the Judicial College of England and Wales has greatly enhanced our practices in case management and judicial ethics. I look forward to further collaboration, especially in emerging areas like artificial intelligence and judicial peer-review learning,” he said.
In closing, NJI Secretary, Olumo Abdulazeez, on behalf of the Administrator, thanked the Chief Justice for his support and reiterated the commitment to expand the partnership in future capacity-building initiatives.
The successful training session reinforces the strength of the collaborative relationship between the Nigerian judiciary and the Judicial College of England and Wales, promising further advancements in judicial training and development.
