President Bola Tinubu has commissioned a 10-unit Court of Appeal Judges' Quarters in Katampe District, Abuja, describing the project as a strategic investment in judicial welfare and democratic governance. The facility was officially handed over through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who read Tinubu's speech at the event. Tinubu stated that improving judicial infrastructure supports the independence, efficiency, and dignity of the judiciary, calling the commissioning "a tangible demonstration of the Federal Government's enduring commitment" to these values. He revealed that additional land has been allocated for future judicial facilities, including for the National Industrial Court, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Federal High Court, and the FCT High Court, with plans for the area to become known as "Judiciary Boulevard." Tinubu praised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for the timely completion of the project and urged state governors to replicate the federal initiative by upgrading judicial infrastructure within their jurisdictions. Wike, in his address, emphasized that state governors should take ownership of federal judicial institutions located in their domains, referencing his tenure as Rivers State governor where he supported the establishment of a National Industrial Court branch.
Tinubu's commissioning of judges' housing in Abuja while urging states to fund federal judicial facilities reveals a contradiction in federal responsibility. The federal government controls judicial funding and appointments, yet the call shifts burden to states without clarifying constitutional obligations. Wike's claim of supporting a court in Rivers does not establish that state governments are mandated to finance federal judicial infrastructure. The move risks blurring jurisdictional lines without addressing systemic underfunding at the federal level.
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