PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to consider and approve two key legislative proposals aimed at reforming Nigeria’s criminal justice system and strengthening the administration of public senior secondary education across the country.
The requests were conveyed in separate letters addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and read during plenary on Thursday.
In the first correspondence, the President sought the repeal of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and its replacement with the proposed Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026.
According to Tinubu, the new legislation is intended to enhance the administration of criminal justice in the courts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other federal courts, while also establishing an Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the justice system.
He explained that the proposed legislation is designed to ensure that Nigeria’s criminal justice system promotes the efficient management of criminal justice institutions, guarantees the speedy dispensation of justice, protects society from crime, and safeguards the rights and interests of defendants, victims, the courts, law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities.
The President stated that the bill also seeks to strengthen compliance with the provisions of the criminal justice law by institutions and individuals involved in the administration of justice.
Tinubu noted that the proposed repeal and re-enactment became necessary following the identification of legal, procedural and institutional challenges affecting the effective implementation of the existing ACJA 2015.
Among the challenges identified are delays in criminal investigations and prosecutions, inadequate deployment of technology in criminal proceedings, weak coordination among criminal justice institutions, inefficient case management mechanisms, and limitations in monitoring and evaluating compliance with the provisions of the current law.
According to him, the proposed legislation was reviewed by experienced law officers with expertise in criminal law, criminal procedure and legislative drafting, and incorporates recent developments in criminal justice administration, judicial pronouncements, technological innovations and international best practices.
He added that the bill strengthens the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council and introduces additional measures to ensure effective implementation of the law by relevant institutions.
The President expressed optimism that the Senate would give the bill expeditious consideration.
Following the presentation of the letter, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action, directing the committee to report back to the chamber within four weeks.
Senior Secondary Education
In a separate letter, Tinubu also urged the Senate to pass the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Amendment Bill 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen the administration and governance of public senior secondary education in the country.
The President stated that the amendment bill was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting of April 30, after which the Federal Ministry of Justice completed the gazetting and final drafting in accordance with constitutional requirements and legislative drafting standards.
He said the proposed amendment reflects his administration’s commitment to strengthening educational institutions in the national interest and appealed to lawmakers to accord the bill speedy legislative consideration.
After reading the second letter, Akpabio referred the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Amendment Bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for legislative processing, with a directive to report back to plenary within one week.
The two legislative proposals form part of the Tinubu administration’s broader reform agenda aimed at modernising key public institutions, improving governance, enhancing justice delivery and strengthening Nigeria’s education sector.
