Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has highlighted the judiciary’s increased vulnerability to cyberattacks due to its possession of sensitive information, including case files, personal data, and classified government documents. Speaking at the National Judicial Institute’s workshop for Information and Communication Technology staff in Abuja, she emphasized the necessity for robust cybersecurity measures to protect judicial data from unauthorized access and potential breaches.
Justice Kekere-Ekun underscored the importance of training judicial ICT personnel in cybersecurity best practices, encryption technologies, and secure data storage solutions. She warned that compromising court records could have significant legal and national security consequences. The Chief Justice also noted the judiciary’s efforts to keep pace with technological advancements, citing the ongoing revision of the Judiciary Information Technology Policy (JITPO) to incorporate emerging digital trends and address existing gaps.
She further advocated for collaborative partnerships between the judiciary, legal practitioners, technology experts, policymakers, and international organizations to enhance digital transformation. Justice Kekere-Ekun encouraged the exploration of local technological solutions tailored to Nigeria’s unique legal and socio-economic contexts. While acknowledging the benefits of technology in justice administration, she expressed concern over the digital divide, noting that many courtrooms lack reliable internet access. To bridge this gap, she called for capacity-building initiatives to equip judicial officers and ICT staff with the necessary skills to operate digital systems effectively.
