International specialists in business analysis and emerging technologies have called on the Nigerian government to adopt data-driven automation to improve fairness, speed, and consistency in the justice system. They noted that legal and policy professionals globally are increasingly applying advanced analytics and predictive tools to streamline judicial processes.
This was the central message from renowned business analyst and strategist Henry Akinlude at a high-level webinar titled “Using Business Analytics and Predictive Models to Inform Legal Decision-Making and Public Policy: A Data-Driven Approach to Justice Reform.”
The virtual event, hosted by the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, convened legal practitioners, academics, technologists, and students to examine how digital tools are reshaping legal systems worldwide—and how Nigeria can position itself to benefit.
Delivering the keynote, Mr Akinlude argued that technologies such as predictive modelling, automated document review, and intelligent legal assistants could significantly reduce delays and inconsistencies in Nigeria’s courts.
He proposed a shift from instinct-driven decision-making to evidence-based approaches, explaining how descriptive analytics can uncover patterns in case outcomes, diagnostic tools can identify causes of judicial disparities, predictive models can anticipate procedural bottlenecks, and prescriptive analytics can recommend targeted interventions.
“Nigeria cannot afford to remain behind while other nations use data to strengthen justice delivery,” Mr Akinlude said. “These tools can help courts forecast case trajectories, assist lawyers in building more robust arguments, and guide policymakers toward reforms grounded in evidence. But this requires investment in infrastructure, talent, and governance. Public confidence in the judiciary depends on transparency and consistency.”
Referencing global case studies—including the Stanford Legal Analytics Lab in the US and the UK’s HM Courts & Tribunals Service pilot—Mr Akinlude highlighted how data tools have improved case forecasting, accelerated e-discovery, and refined litigation strategies. He noted that while Nigeria’s legal system remains largely paper-based, the country has the opportunity to leapfrog into a modern, digitally enabled future.
The webinar also featured Professor J.O.A Akintayo the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ibadan who stated that Artificial intelligence on its own cannot resolve Nigeria's backlog in the court system that human element is very important to make this work successfully. He, the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ibadan, stated that Artificial intelligence on its own cannot resolve Nigeria's backlog in the court system, and emphasized that the adoption of AI needs not to be rushed, and we should be cautious.
The session concluded with a proposed roadmap for reform: embed data and automation training in law school curricula, develop Nigeria-specific models trained on local legal data, establish regulatory standards for responsible deployment, and foster collaboration between law firms, universities, and technology startups.
In his closing remarks, Mr Akinlude reiterated his call to action, urging Nigeria to take ownership of its justice reform journey. “The rise of intelligent systems is not a distant future—it’s already here. The question is whether Nigeria will shape its own path or trail behind others. This is our moment to lead,” he said.
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