Tinubu Requests Legislative Backing for Major Judiciary, Health Sector Reforms

By Blessing Bature 

 

President Bola Tinubu has requested the backing of the House of Representatives to implement major reforms in the judiciary and health sectors, aimed at strengthening institutional efficiency and improving service delivery. 

The proposed reforms, conveyed in a formal request to lawmakers, are expected to address longstanding structural challenges, enhance access to justice and healthcare, and align both sectors with the administration’s broader governance and development agenda.

In the correspondence to lawmakers, President Tinubu also requested the House to urgently consider and pass the Federal High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes increase the statutory number of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 90.

While reading the letter at the plenary, the Speaker House of Representatives, Hon  Tajudeen Abbas expressed optimism that the President request will be accorded the urgent attention it deserved by the lawmakers.

In the President correspondence to the green chamber, president Tinubu observed that the courts is currently handling serious growing number of complex cases, including terrorism, transnational organised crimes as well as  other matters relating to national security.

He informed lawmakers that the proposed increases would contribute positively by improving  judge-to-case ratio for the purpose of enhancing prompt, speedy and quality of adjudication and access to justice for the purpose of strengthening public confidence in the judiciary system across Nigeria.

Tinubu, therefore urged the House to give the bills expeditious consideration in order to strengthen the institutional capacity, efficiency and effectiveness of the country’s judicial system.

In another letter, the President explained that the proposed amendment is seeking to increase the number of Court of Appeal justices from 70 to 110 as well as clarify judicial structure and seniority including the establishment of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre to handle cases that can be settled outside the conventional  courtroom.

Meanwhile another communication in a letter from the President to the lawmakers focused  on the transmission of 24 health sector bills carefully designed to reform existing health laws and to streamline what was described as the over-bloated membership of governing councils within the health sector.