FHC Appoints Yahaya Yakubu Shafa as Acting Chief Registrar Following Hassan’s Elevation to the Bench

The Federal High Court of Nigeria has announced a change in its administrative leadership following the elevation of its Chief Registrar, Sulaiman Amida Hassan, to the Bench.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the court’s Director of Information, Catherine Oby Christopher, the court said the Federal Judicial Service Commission at its 98th meeting held on January 22, 2026, approved the appointment of Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, FCArb, as Acting Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court “with effect from February 17, 2026.”

The statement added that Shafa’s appointment “follows the elevation of the outgoing Chief Registrar, Sulaiman Amida Hassan, to the Bench of the Honourable Court,” noting that the development “is in line with the Court’s commitment to ensuring continuity, efficiency, and stability in its administrative leadership.”

Describing the new Acting Chief Registrar, the court said, “Mr. Shafa is a seasoned judicial administrator and legal practitioner with over eighteen (18) years of progressive experience in the justice sector.”

It further stated that before his appointment, he served as Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Judicial Service Commission, where he “played a pivotal role in judicial administration, policy coordination, and institutional development.”

The statement expressed optimism that his “wealth of experience in court administration, legal practice, and institutional reform is expected to further strengthen the administrative machinery of the Federal High Court and enhance the efficient delivery of justice.”

The management and staff of the court also congratulated Hassan on his elevation and Shafa on his appointment, wishing the latter “a successful tenure in his new position.”