The Federal Government has commenced the process of repealing 269 laws identified as obsolete, spent or already repealed following a comprehensive review of the country’s federal legislation.
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The move followed the submission of a report by a committee established in 2024 to examine existing laws to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi.
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The committee was chaired by Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Ekiti State Attorney General, Olawale Fapohunda, while Professor Dakas Dakas, SAN, served as co-chairman.
Presenting the report at the Ministry of Justice headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, Fapohunda disclosed that the committee examined 932 federal enactments and 731 subsidiary legislations.
He explained that 663 enactments, together with their relevant subsidiary legislations, were recommended for inclusion in the revised Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, while 269 were classified as obsolete, spent or repealed.
Fapohunda observed that substantial portions of Nigeria’s legislation had not undergone a comprehensive and systematic review in almost two decades.
He said the review was intended to remove outdated and redundant statutes, resolve conflicting legal provisions and incorporate contemporary economic, social and technological developments into the country’s legal framework.
According to him, the committee encountered laws containing outdated economic indicators, obsolete penalties and administrative procedures that no longer reflected modern technological developments or international standards.
He explained that the exercise went beyond simple editing, as the committee sought to thoroughly examine the country’s statute books while preserving the substance of laws that remained valid.
Fapohunda added that particular care was taken to distinguish between legislation still in force, laws that had been repealed, provisions that had become spent and those requiring further legislative attention.
To ensure a comprehensive review, the committee established 14 working groups to examine assigned volumes of legislation. Technical teams also supported the process through collation, drafting, quality assurance, supervision and editorial reviews.
He said the arrangement provided several layers of technical and editorial scrutiny to improve the accuracy and consistency of the final report.
The committee chairman expressed hope that the exercise would establish a more regular and sustainable approach to reviewing Nigeria’s laws.
He also recommended the creation of a structured system for continuous revision to prevent the country from experiencing another prolonged gap between comprehensive reviews.
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Receiving the report, Fagbemi described the exercise as an important development in the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the justice sector and modernise Nigeria’s legal framework.
The Attorney General noted that the last official consolidation of the Laws of the Federation was carried out in 2004, meaning more than 20 years had passed without a comprehensive update.
He said the country had experienced considerable legislative, constitutional, institutional and technological changes during that period, while numerous new laws and amendments had accumulated.
According to Fagbemi, these developments made a comprehensive review necessary to ensure that federal legislation remained consistent, accessible, current and responsive to national needs.
He stated that the committee, established on October 24, 2024, had made considerable progress towards producing an updated and consolidated collection of federal laws.
However, he stressed that accuracy, quality and practical usefulness must remain central to the final publication.
Fagbemi said the revised Laws of the Federation should serve as a dependable reference for courts, legal practitioners, government institutions, investors and members of the public.
He also emphasised the need to clearly identify recommendations requiring additional legislative or policy action to ensure they receive appropriate attention.
The Attorney General disclosed that the next stage would involve submitting the report to President Bola Tinubu for onward transmission to the National Assembly for legislative consideration and necessary action.
He called for cooperation between the Executive and Legislature, particularly lawmakers expected to consider the proposed changes, to ensure the process was completed promptly.
Fagbemi further stressed that the exercise should establish a lasting framework for periodically reviewing and updating federal legislation.
He maintained that the country should strengthen its capacity to monitor new enactments, amendments and subsidiary legislation to ensure that its laws remain relevant as new developments emerge.
He said the broader objective was to establish a modern, consistent and accessible legal framework capable of promoting the rule of law, improving the administration of justice, supporting effective governance, protecting citizens’ rights and contributing to national development and security.
The Attorney General added that the reform represented an important step towards building a justice system that responds to contemporary challenges and strengthens public confidence.
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