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Access to justice and human rights protection in Nigeria: problems and prospects

The article examines the importance of access to justice as an essential instrument for the protection of human rights in Nigeria and demonstrates that it is only when an individual has access to courts that his fundamental rights can be enforced. It then looks at the reality of the Nigerian situation and posits that there are a number of obstacles to the realization of access to justice in the country. These obstacles, such as undue delay in the administration of justice, high cost of litigation, reliance on technical rules, locus standi, and illiteracy are then examined in turn, in validation of the proposition. Finally, it inquires as to the prospects for improvement of access to justice in Nigeria and opines that if mechanisms such as judicial reforms and resort to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are encouraged and properly put in place, with less emphasis on technical rules, and if the Legal Aid Scheme is strengthened, there would be meaningful access to justice which will impact positively on the quest for the protection of human rights in the country.

Nigeria; Access to justice; Judicial reform; Human rights


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