The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere‑Ekun, GCON, has underscored the growing complexity of legal issues arising from Nigeria’s electricity sector reforms. She noted that legislative changes, policy innovations, decentralisation of regulatory authority to state institutions, and increased private sector participation have made judicial familiarity with sector‑specific regulations indispensable.
Justice Kekere‑Ekun made the remarks at the 6th Seminar for Judges, organized by the National Judicial Institute in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), held at the Institute’s Auditorium in Abuja. She stressed that the judiciary bears a critical responsibility to interpret statutes, review regulatory decisions, and resolve disputes in ways that promote legal certainty, economic efficiency, and public confidence in the justice system.
In his opening address, Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo, OFR (Rtd), Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, described the seminar as timely, given the enactment of the Electricity Act 2023. He emphasized that judges must be equipped to deliver informed and principled decisions in electricity‑related disputes, reflecting the Institute’s commitment to strengthening judicial capacity in specialized areas of law.
NERC Chairman, Dr. Musiliu Oseni, highlighted the far‑reaching regulatory reforms, decentralisation of oversight, and increasing private and sub‑national participation in the electricity market. He stressed the pivotal role of judges in interpreting the Electricity Act 2023, reviewing regulatory actions, and ensuring transparency and accountability in the exercise of regulatory powers.
Goodwill messages were delivered by Senator Enyinnya Abaribe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power; Hon. Victor Onyamaechi Nwokolo, Chairman of the House Committee on Power; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN; and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo A. Adelabu, FCA, FCIR, OFR, who also delivered the keynote address. Collectively, they emphasized the importance of judicial clarity and consistency in fostering investor confidence and sustainable growth in the electricity sector.
Kekere‑Ekun commended the NJI leadership for its dedication to judicial education and urged judges to fully engage with the programme. She emphasized the judiciary’s role in shaping sound jurisprudence capable of addressing the legal and socio‑economic implications of Nigeria’s evolving electricity market.
The opening ceremony concluded with a group photograph, symbolizing the judiciary’s collective commitment to deepening engagement with electricity sector governance and reinforcing the courts’ role in safeguarding the rule of law amid ongoing reforms.
