Federal High Court starts moving to new building in Lagos

The Federal High Court has started relocating its Lagos Judicial Division to a new building on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi. This move comes more than ten years after construction of the new facility began.

The relocation from the current court location at No. 24, Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi began on 31 July. It is being done in phases, as stated in a notice from the Chief Registrar of the court, Yahaya Shafa.

The notice, shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, says the new complex is located at No. 1B, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi.

The first phase of the move includes Vacation Courts 7 and 12, as well as Courts 2, 3, 4, and 5. The offices of the Chief Registrar, the Deputy Chief Registrars, and the Electronic Litigation Registrar of Process (ELRP) are also part of this first phase.

Mr Shafa explained that moving in phases is meant to make the transition easier and reduce disruption to court cases and administrative work. He urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), litigants, the Lagos State Government, and the public to take note of the relocation and adjust accordingly.

Lawyers and litigants with cases in the affected courts should confirm where their proceedings and other official meetings will take place as the relocation goes on. He added that the remaining courts and offices will be relocated later. More announcements will be made as this process continues.

The new complex is expected to have better facilities for judges, lawyers, litigants, and other court users. It will create a better environment for court activities.

In June 2023, Justice Olayinka Faji, the Administrative Judge of the Federal High Court in Lagos, said the nine-floor building should start operations later that year. During the 2023 Nigerian Bar Association Lagos Branch Law Week, he mentioned that four upgraded courtrooms in the new facility were expected to open soon.

He pointed out that the project faced challenges, especially with funding, which is linked to the larger issues affecting the judiciary. At that time, Mr Faji said he had checked the courtrooms and was assured by the project team that the building would be ready by the end of 2023.

Now, more than three years later, the phased relocation has finally begun, moving judicial activities from the old site on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive to the new complex on Bourdillon Road.