Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has mobilised more than 350 lawyers, securing legal representation for 23,909 detainees at police stations, as part of efforts to expand access to justice for indigent Nigerians.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Lucy James Abagi, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2026 Law for Humanity Summit, organised by the centre with the theme, ‘Justice in the Age of Data and AI.’
Abagi said the intervention had also resulted in the handling of more than 18,314 cases under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and 5,595 pro bono cases across correctional centres.
She said the figures underscored the need to make justice more accessible, particularly to citizens who cannot afford legal representation, adding that emerging technologies could help address some of the systemic challenges confronting the justice sector.
Abagi challenged stakeholders to ensure that technological advancement in the justice sector addresses the practical difficulties confronting ordinary Nigerians.
“What does artificial intelligence mean to a young man who has spent years in detention because he cannot afford a lawyer? What does digital transformation mean to a woman who has travelled several hours to attend court only to discover her case has been adjourned? What does access to justice mean to an indigent citizen who does not understand the legal process?” she asked.
She said the summit was anchored on the conviction that justice must be accessible, fair and responsive to every citizen, regardless of social status, financial circumstances or location.
Abagi said Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital records and data-driven systems were changing how justice institutions operate globally, creating opportunities for Nigeria to improve legal services and institutional efficiency.
She identified potential applications ranging from helping lawyers retrieve legal authorities and prepare briefs more quickly to enabling police duty solicitors to establish facts surrounding arrests and helping correctional facilities identify detainees who have overstayed their detention and may qualify for bail.
According to her, technology-driven legal representation could democratise access to justice, enable lawyers to serve more people and help legal aid institutions manage larger caseloads.
“Technology should not be celebrated simply because it is innovative. It should be celebrated when it makes a difference in people’s lives,” she said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Director-General of the Legal Aid Council, Bamidele Ibikunle, who represented Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar, said the justice system was undergoing a profound transition from traditional paperwork to a complex digital architecture powered by AI.
He said AI could improve case management, while data could provide a foundation for decisions that strengthen legal aid delivery.
Ibikunle added that the ethical deployment of data-driven systems could move legal aid from reactive representation to more proactive and inclusive services, particularly for indigent communities in rural areas.
The keynote speaker, Muyiwa Atoyebi (SAN), cautioned that although technology could reduce inefficiencies, improve access to information and enhance case management, making the justice system faster did not necessarily make it fairer.
“Behind every case file is a human story, and behind every judgment are consequences that may extend far beyond the courtroom. As we pursue a technologically sophisticated justice system, we must not lose sight of the human being for whom that system exists,” he said.
He cautioned against algorithmic bias, the digital divide and data privacy risks, urging justice sector stakeholders to ensure that AI deployment complied with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and did not automate existing discrimination or create additional barriers for poor citizens.