The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening a fair, transparent, and accountable justice system in Nigeria, as it announced new progress empowering more than 20,000 detainees through its flagship Access to Justice Parley initiative in Abuja.
Speaking at the 2025 Access to Justice Parley themed Justice, Security, and Governance A Unified Agenda for Nigeria’s Sustainable Development, PPDC’s Chief Executive Officer, Lucy Abagi, said the organisation remains committed to ensuring that justice works for every Nigerian. She disclosed that through the Reforming Pretrial Detention in Nigeria Project (Phase II), the organisation has provided free legal representation to 20,009 detainees, resulting in the release of 8,552 individuals who were unlawfully detained without trial.
Abagi added that PPDC’s Police Duty Solicitors Scheme, which is now operational in 50 police stations nationwide, ensures suspects receive immediate legal support at the point of arrest. She also revealed that PPDC has paid more than N5 million in fines, helping to secure freedom for over 60 convicted detainees, while supporting jail delivery exercises across several states to reduce congestion in correctional facilities.
Highlighting the centre’s growing push for tech-enabled justice processes, Abagi disclosed that PPDC has upgraded the Correctional Information Management System in 16 custodial centres to improve data tracking and inmate management. In collaboration with the FCT Judiciary, the organisation has introduced electronic filing and case management systems to digitise court processes, while its partnership with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) has produced a digital case monitoring system accessible nationwide.
She also stated that under the Court Administration and Case Management Initiative, PPDC has equipped 24 courts, soon to reach 44, across Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Ebonyi, and Oyo states with speech-to-text technology to replace slow manual recording. In addition, PPDC has facilitated 2,370 virtual court sessions, distributed 3,000 policy manuals on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), and trained 1,746 judges, prosecutors, and investigators to strengthen justice delivery.
“We are building a justice system that is transparent, data-driven, and human-centred,” Abagi said. “What we have achieved so far is only the beginning of the transformation Nigeria deserves.”
Representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Nigerian Correctional Service, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) present at the event commended PPDC’s strategic role in advancing judicial transparency and reform in Nigeria. UNODC’s Melissa Omena noted that justice, security, and governance remain essential pillars of sustainable development, while NLRC’s Prof. Dakas Dakas, SAN, highlighted the importance of technology, capacity building, and accountability in modernising Nigeria’s justice system.
The Parley brought together policymakers, reform advocates, and development partners, who agreed that justice reform must remain centred on human rights, rehabilitation, and the rule of law, as Nigeria continues its journey toward a more inclusive and transparent justice ecosystem.
