‘Data-driven justice will speed up Nigeria’s courts’

Nigeria’s slow and inconsistent justice system could be on the verge of transformation as business analytics expert and AI strategist, Henry Akinlude, has unveiled a strategy to cut delays and improve efficiency through data-driven reform.

 Speaking during a recent webinar titled “Using Business Analytics and Predictive Models to Inform Legal Decision-Making and Public Policy: A Data-Driven Approach to Justice Reform”, Akinlude told an audience of lawyers and academics from the University of Ibadan that technology can make the legal system faster, fairer, and more accountable.

He outlined a four-part framework for judicial reform, including: ‘Descriptive analytics: to identify case trends and patterns in judgments; Diagnostic analytics: To explain inconsistencies in ruling; Predictive models: To forecast adjournments and resource need; and prescriptive analytics: To recommend targeted actions for efficiency.

Akinlude cited global examples, including sentencing reviews in the United Kingdom court digitization in South Africa, and lessons from predictive policing in the US. 

However, he stressed the importance of adapting technology to Nigeria’s legal traditions and realities.

He highlighted that one of the key challenges is the fragmented nature of Nigeria’s legal data.

“Records are scattered across registries, police departments, and government agencies, often in incompatible formats,” Akinlude noted. 

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He called for a nationwide digitization drive, data literacy training for legal professionals, and partnerships between the judiciary, universities, and technology firms.

While promoting technology, Akinlude warned against overreliance on algorithms.

He said predictive models must be transparent, free from bias, and subject to human oversight, adding that, strict adherence to the National Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) is necessary to protect citizens’ privacy.

According to him, his proposals have attracted international attention, with platforms such as OpenPR covering his initiatives. 

Participants concluded that the approach could position Nigeria as a leader in legal innovation and help restore public trust in the justice system.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, but with the right data, justice can be delivered on time,” Akinlude said.