The Lagos State Government and the Government of Canada on Monday moved to deepen justice-sector cooperation, with both sides signalling interest in sustained institutional collaboration under the Canada\u2013Nigeria Justice Cooperation Project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking at an international cooperation meeting in Ikeja, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Lawal Pedro (SAN), said cross-border partnerships had become increasingly vital to strengthening justice delivery and institutional capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLagos is Nigeria\u2019s most populous and economically strategic state, and with rapid urbanisation, migration, inequality and population growth come mounting pressures on the justice system. These realities demand a justice system that is modern, coordinated and forward-looking,\u201d Pedro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stressed that effective justice delivery goes beyond enacting strong laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt requires responsive institutions, professional capacity and strategic partnerships,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pedro said the Lagos State Ministry of Justice had pursued deliberate reforms over the years through policy initiatives, legislative interventions and the establishment of specialised institutions to enhance accountability, efficiency and public confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, agencies such as the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, the Law Reform Commission, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and the Task Force Against Human Trafficking operate within an integrated framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese institutions support prosecution, law reform, victim support and inter-agency coordination,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Placing the Canada\u2013Nigeria Justice Cooperation Project in context, Pedro said it offered opportunities for collaboration in capacity building, policy development, legal reform, data management and operational coordination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCanada\u2019s experience in rights-based justice and institutional accountability presents valuable learning opportunities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt the same time, Lagos\u2019 experience in managing justice delivery in a large, diverse and rapidly growing urban environment offers practical insights. International cooperation should be built on mutual respect, shared values and measurable outcomes,\u201d Pedro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier, the Co-Director of the Canada\u2013Nigeria Justice Cooperation Project and counsel with Canada\u2019s Department of Justice, Ms Genevieve Westrope, said Canada\u2019s engagement with Nigeria was anchored on a technical assistance framework that supports structured, time-bound cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur involvement followed a request from Nigeria\u2019s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs for legal technical assistance in addressing ethnic violence and child protection,\u201d Westrope said, noting that discussions in Lagos revealed broader areas of shared interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said the Canadian delegation had engaged government institutions and civil society organisations in Abuja before visiting Lagos, describing the state as a hub of institutional coordination and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe heard consistently that Lagos has developed strong systems and collaborative approaches,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are here to understand how these systems work and to identify areas for mutual knowledge exchange,\u201d Westrope said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Westrope described the engagement as one of the highlights of the team\u2019s visit to Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also speaking, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Hameed Oyenuga, said international cooperation offered a valuable opportunity for institutional reflection and improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur mandate covers legal advisory services, policy formulation, legislative drafting, criminal prosecution, civil litigation and oversight of specialised agencies,\u201d Oyenuga said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He expressed confidence that the meeting would lay the foundation for sustained Lagos\u2013Canada cooperation, not only in protecting vulnerable persons but also in advancing broader justice-sector reforms with long-term impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Lagos State Government and the Government of Canada on Monday moved to deepen justice-sector cooperation, with both sides signalling interest in sustained institutional collaboration under the Canada\u2013Nigeria Justice Cooperation Project. Speaking at an international cooperation meeting in Ikeja, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Lawal Pedro (SAN), said cross-border partnerships had become […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":90732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t