Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has promised to build more houses for judges in the FCT. He said this is part of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to support the judiciary and help judges work better.
Wike spoke on Monday in Abuja at a special court session to mark the start of the 2025/2026 legal year of the Court of Appeal.
He said money has been set aside in the budget to build more houses for FCT High Court judges. He explained that this will reduce housing problems and make sure all judicial officers have decent accommodation.
Wike said good court buildings, chambers and support facilities help judges work in a safe and professional environment.
He said the FCT Administration has handed over the Certificate of Occupancy for the Supreme Court land. He also said work has started on fencing the entire Supreme Court complex to prevent encroachment and improve security.
Wike said these actions have helped to build confidence across the judiciary.
He also listed other projects being carried out to support the judiciary. These include the construction of new houses for heads of courts in the FCT and a new Magistrates Court complex in Jabi to improve access to justice and reduce pressure on existing courts.
He added that staff quarters are being built for the Nigerian Law School in the FCT. He also said work is ongoing on the Court of Appeal complex in Abuja and houses for judges of the National Industrial Court and the Federal High Court.
Wike said these projects were designed to help judges perform their duties better.
He said the idea is that when judges have safe and comfortable homes, they can focus on delivering justice without distraction.
Wike said the FCT Administration will continue to support justice reforms. He said priority will be given to completing housing projects and the Jabi Magistrates Court.
He added that the FCT will work with courts in Abuja to promote digitisation of court proceedings and registries to improve efficiency and reduce delays.
He stressed that justice must not be compromised and called on judges, lawyers, government agencies and citizens to work together to strengthen the judicial system.
