Kabiru Akanbi said the court would now run a fully digital registry.
Nigeria’s judiciary has moved a step closer to full digitalisation with the official rollout of an electronic case filing system at the Supreme Court, effectively ending the manual filing of cases at the apex court.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, disclosed this on Wednesday at the formal launch of the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS) in Abuja, describing it as a major milestone in the modernisation of the country’s judicial process.
She said the new platform takes immediate effect, noting that the shift was driven by the need to keep pace with global judicial trends that increasingly rely on technology for efficiency and transparency.
According to her, delivering justice in the current era goes beyond applying legal principles — it requires institutions that are efficient, accessible, transparent and responsive to the people they serve. She added that courts worldwide are leaning more on technology to manage cases, preserve records and ensure disputes are resolved on time, stressing that Nigeria’s judiciary cannot afford to lag behind in that transformation.
The CJN said the NCMS rollout comes alongside a new set of rules — the Supreme Court (Mandatory Upload of Electronic Copies of Processes, Records of Appeal and Other Matters) Practice Directions, 2026 — which will guide the digital filing process.
She expressed optimism that the initiative will strengthen case management, safeguard judicial records and speed up case determination.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabiru Akanbi, said the court would now run a fully digital registry, urging lawyers, litigants and other court users to key into the new system.
The reform is being described as one of the most far-reaching technological changes in Nigeria’s judiciary in recent years, with expectations that it will cut delays and improve access to justice.
