Something’s shifting in Ekiti State’s courtrooms — slowly, a bit awkwardly, but for real. The Ekiti State Judiciary has started the process of plugging its High Court into the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS), a national digital platform meant to make courts faster, clearer and less dependent on paper. It’s the sort of change that sounds technical at first, but it will touch how judges work, how lawyers file cases, and how ordinary people get justice. I’ll admit: I found some parts encouraging, others cautiously optimistic. Still, this feels like a step in the right direction.
Why this matters Paper files, long waits, lost documents — you know the picture. Courts across the country have long relied on manual systems that cause delays and make oversight harder. The NCMS aims to change that. It’s not just an e-filing tool; it bundles case tracking, document management, automated alerts and reporting features. That’s the promise: faster case movement, fewer opportunities for corruption, and better data to show what’s really happening in the justice system.
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What Ekiti has already done You don’t start digital projects with lip service. According to the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon. Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, the judiciary has already ticked quite a few boxes. They’ve set up a data centre, laid local area networks, provided computer systems, and trained judges and court staff. A number of ICT personnel even got advanced training at the National Judicial Council in Abuja. So, there’s actual infrastructure and capacity-building underway — not just talk.
There are also plans to change court rules so they legally accommodate electronic filing. Complementary services are being introduced too: e-affidavits from a tech firm called Cinfores Limited, and e-probate services to come later. These add-ons are important because a case management system doesn’t stand alone; it needs the tools to support the whole lifecycle of a case.
Voices from the bench and the bar Justice Ogunmoye’s message was equal parts practical and persuasive. He sees the NCMS as transformative and stressed the need for broad stakeholder buy-in — judges, lawyers, court staff, the Bar Association, even the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service. Training and sensitisation, he said, are vital, along with addressing concerns and building confidence in the new system. That’s sensible. People rarely embrace change without time, explanation and support.
Then there’s Hon. Justice Kashim Zanna, the Chief Judge of Borno State and chairman of the Judicial Information Technology Policy Committee. He was frank: change may be uncomfortable at first, but it’s necessary for both institutional efficiency and the wellbeing of those who work in the courts. He urged lawyers to upgrade their skills and have basic tech like laptops and case-management tools. I can see his point — digital practice won’t be optional for long. Filing from anywhere, judges checking matters remotely, even conducting parts of proceedings online: that’s a different rhythm of work, and not everyone will adjust at the same speed.
What the Attorney-General added Ekiti’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata (SAN), framed the NCMS as a national reform that lines up with the National Judicial Council’s mandate to ensure effective administration of justice. He highlighted the system’s ability to manage cases electronically from filing through final disposition, reduce reliance on manual processes, and provide better judicial data. The argument is straightforward: a more digitised process means more accountability and clearer records.
Practical benefits — and some caveats If the system works as envisioned, we should see several practical improvements: shorter delays, automated reminders to keep cases moving, searchable digital records, and analytic reports that show where bottlenecks happen. For litigants, that could translate into more predictable timelines and less time wasted in endless appearances.
But — and this is worth pausing on — the shift is not automatic. Technology helps only if it’s reliable, if users are trained properly, and if rules and culture adapt. There will be hiccups. Some lawyers may resist, some court staff may be slow to adopt new routines, connectivity may be patchy, and occasional system outages are likely. Those are predictable. The success of this project will come down to sustained training, responsive technical support, and a willingness to tweak processes as problems emerge.
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A few broader thoughts I like that Ekiti is not pretending this will be effortless. The language used by officials — “sensitise,” “train,” “mobilise support” — suggests realism. It’s also telling that they’ve brought in external tech expertise for services like e-affidavit. That kind of openness to outside partners can speed things up and reduce the burden on already stretched court IT teams.
At the same time, there’s an urgency in the messages from the judiciary leadership that resonates: society expects faster services now — banking, travel, public services — so why should justice lag? That’s fair. Yet the very urgency risks glossing over operational realities. So yeah, hopeful but cautious.
What to watch next
- How smoothly the e-filing roll-out occurs and how many lawyers actively use it in the first months.
- Whether court rules get updated promptly to reflect electronic processes.
- The consistency of internet and power supply across court locations.
- The feedback loop: will judges, lawyers and users be able to report problems and see quick fixes?
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Final reflection Digitalising the Ekiti High Court through the NCMS is a significant move. It’s not a miracle cure, and it won’t eliminate the hard work of administration or fix deep systemic issues overnight. But it does create tools that — used well — could make a real difference: fewer delays, clearer records, and more accessible justice. I’d expect bumps, maybe a few grumbles, and some slow learners. Still, when institutions start building capacity rather than just promising change, that usually leads somewhere useful. Ekiti’s taking that step. Let’s see how they walk the rest of the way.
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