Kogi Chief Judge commends FIDA’s gender inclusion Initiative

…affirms judiciary’s commitment to women’s advancement

The Chief Judge of Kogi State, Hon. Justice Josiah Majebi, has commended the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kogi State Branch, for implementing a gender inclusion advocacy project aimed at strengthening women’s participation in the judiciary, describing the initiative as timely and beneficial to institutional development.

Justice Majebi gave the commendation during a seminar held at the Kogi State Judiciary Headquarters in Lokoja as part of FIDA’s internationally supported program titled “Envisioning an Institution of the Future and a Strategy for Change with the Kogi State Judicial Service Commission.”

The seminar focused on the theme “Strengthening Women Inclusion and Advancement in the Nigerian Judiciary Through Institutional Reforms.”

The Chief Judge reaffirmed that the Kogi State Judiciary has consistently maintained gender-sensitive policies in appointments, promotions, training, mentorship, and welfare, stressing that women have continued to occupy strategic positions across the judicial system.

Earlier, FIDA’s country vice chairperson, Mrs. Elena Martins, and the Kogi State chairperson, Mrs. Kemi Omeiza, explained that the five-year project, scheduled to run until 2031, seeks to strengthen institutional partnerships and promote gender inclusion in judicial appointments, training, promotion, and mentorship.

They disclosed that Kogi, Benue, and Sokoto states were selected from across the country after a comprehensive assessment of judicial service commissions on gender-related policies and practices.

According to them, the project aligns with FIDA’s commitment to advancing laws, policies, and institutional practices that promote gender equality within the judiciary.

To demonstrate the judiciary’s commitment to gender inclusiveness, Justice Majebi presided over a mock court session where FIDA presented a hypothetical complaint alleging inadequate representation of women within the Kogi State Judiciary.

ALSO READ: BREAKING: Kogi Chief Judge swears in Onoja as Kogi deputy governor

Representing FIDA, Mrs. Tina Ekele argued that institutional reforms were necessary to improve women’s representation at all levels.

However, the Secretary of the Kogi State Judicial Service Commission, Dr. Tanko Mohammed, dismissed the allegation, presenting statistics showing substantial female representation across the judiciary.

He informed the court that all directors in the Judicial Service Commission, except himself, are women, while eight of the 16 directors in the High Court are female.

He further noted that three of the four deputy directors are women and that two of the four recently appointed High Court judges are female, reflecting gender balance in appointments.

After reviewing the submissions, Justice Majebi ruled that there was no evidence to support claims of gender exclusion in the Kogi State Judiciary.

He held that the defense had sufficiently demonstrated, with facts and figures, that women are adequately represented across various cadres of the judiciary.

“The complainant failed to substantiate its claims, while the defendant provided convincing evidence. Consequently, the complaint lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” the Chief Judge ruled.

Despite the ruling, Justice Majebi acknowledged that there remains room for improvement, assuring stakeholders that the judiciary would continue collaborating with relevant institutions to strengthen women’s inclusion and expand opportunities for female judicial officers and staff.

He identified funding as a major challenge affecting the implementation of several welfare and gender-focused initiatives, including the establishment of childcare facilities, clinics, and other support programs for women. He expressed optimism that improved government funding would enable the judiciary to fully implement these initiatives.

The chief judge also pledged to advocate for the reservation of a percentage of judicial appointments for women through the National Judicial Council (NJC), describing gender inclusion as essential to institutional growth and justice delivery.

Delivering a presentation on the project’s audit findings, the resource person and project manager, Mr. Fiki Obaro, explained that the program would evaluate participating states on key indicators, including gender-sensitive policies, institutional support for women, budgetary provisions, documentation of gender-related issues, mentorship structures, and protection mechanisms.

He said the project would assess progress over the next five years to determine whether participating Judicial Service Commissions have achieved measurable improvements in women’s representation and institutional reforms.

In their remarks, Mrs. Martins and Mrs. Omeiza commended the Kogi State Judiciary for its proactive approach to gender inclusion and expressed confidence that the collaboration would produce lasting reforms and strengthen opportunities for women within the state’s judicial system.