The Federal Government has reviewed 932 federal enactments and 731 subsidiary legislations, identifying 268 laws as obsolete, spent or repealed and recommending their removal from the proposed 2025 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the presentation of the final report of the Committee on the Review, Update and Consolidation of the Laws of the Federation.
Fagbemi said 664 of the 932 federal enactments examined, alongside their relevant subsidiary legislations, had been identified for inclusion in the revised edition.
He explained that the review was necessary because Nigeria’s last official consolidation of federal laws was carried out in 2004, more than 20 years ago. He said several new laws and amendments had been introduced since then, making an updated legal framework necessary.
The minister disclosed that the committee was established on October 24, 2024, with a mandate to review existing federal laws, identify obsolete provisions, address inconsistencies and produce an updated and accessible collection of the country’s legislation.
He commended the committee, chaired by Olawale Fapohunda, for completing the assignment through 14 thematic working groups and extensive legal research.
Fagbemi said the final report would be presented to President Bola Tinubu for onward transmission to the National Assembly for legislative consideration and action.
Earlier, Fapohunda said the review went beyond compiling existing laws, as the committee also examined their relevance and identified areas requiring further legislative attention.
He highlighted concerns including outdated statutory language, conflicting provisions, obsolete chapter numbers and fines and fees that no longer reflect current economic realities, with some penalties remaining as low as N10 and N50.
The committee also recommended the establishment of a centralised national repository of federal legislation to improve access to laws and ensure regular updates.
Fapohunda urged the Federal Government to establish a sustainable system for reviewing and updating legislation to prevent another prolonged gap in the consolidation of the country’s laws.
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