Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the administration of justice through technology-driven reforms.
The governor stated this at the official launch of the Nigeria Case Management System (NCMS) for the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti.
The NCMS is a centralised digital repository and e-filing platform launched by the Supreme Court of Nigeria to track, manage and process civil and criminal proceedings electronically.
Oyebanji, represented by the Acting Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola (SAN), described the initiative as a significant milestone in the administration of justice in the state.
He said the introduction of the system went beyond the deployment of software, as it represented a fundamental shift towards a more efficient and technology-driven judicial system.
According to the governor, onboarding the State High Court onto the digital platform will address the bottlenecks associated with manual court processes and improve justice delivery.
“When our administration outlined our multi-pillar agenda for shared prosperity, we recognised that a stable, predictable and highly efficient judicial system is the bedrock of economic growth, social peace and investor confidence,” he said.
Oyebanji said the integration of court operations into the nationwide digital platform demonstrated the state’s commitment to innovation and good governance.
He commended the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, and the leadership of the judiciary for their commitment to judicial reforms and the modernisation of court operations.
The governor said the adoption of the case management system and electronic filing application would reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure faster, more predictable judicial processes for lawyers and litigants.
Also speaking, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, commended the Chief Judge for introducing the system.
Aribasoye said the initiative would ease the process of filing court cases and help prevent the misplacement of case files.
The Speaker noted that the House of Assembly had adopted paperless operations and live broadcasts of plenary sessions through technological innovations, adding that the executive and judiciary were also embracing digital transformation.
He described the development as a welcome step towards improving governance and institutional efficiency in the state.
Earlier, the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, recalled that the State Judiciary inaugurated its Standing Committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy Implementation on July 5, 2021, to strengthen efficiency and promote transparency in case management.
The Chief Judge said the committee was mandated to develop a comprehensive ICT policy for the judiciary, which included implementing the NCMS electronic filing portal.
According to him, a stakeholders’ conference on the enrolment and onboarding of the High Court onto the system was held on February 9, 2026, paving the way for the official launch.
Justice Ogunmoye commended members of the committee for translating the vision into reality, saying electronic filing would make justice more accessible and align court operations with global technological developments.
He explained that court processes, particularly the filing of documents, had largely been handled manually, adding that the new system would facilitate faster justice delivery and reduce the workload of stakeholders.
The Chief Judge said the platform would integrate electronic filing, registration, scheduling, tracking and case management.
He, however, stressed the need for an appropriate legal framework to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.
Justice Ogunmoye noted that the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014, as amended, the Ekiti State Administration of Civil Justice Law 2019 and the High Court of Ekiti State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2020 did not provide for electronic filing of court processes.
He said the gap necessitated the issuance of practice directions to provide a legal basis for the new system.
He announced that the _Adoption and Deployment of the Nigeria Case Management System (NCMS) in Criminal and Civil Proceedings 2026 Practice Directions_ would take effect from October 22, 2026.
Justice Ogunmoye said that, consequently, only documents received and stored through the High Court’s NCMS electronic filing portal would constitute proper court records for new cases filed from that date.
He added that copies of the practice directions would be available at the High Court library for a token fee.
The Chief Judge expressed appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for creating an enabling environment for the judiciary to function effectively.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the Chief Judge of Borno State and Chairman of the Judiciary Information Technology Policy Committee, Justice Kashim Zannah, OFR, as well as judges, magistrates, registrars, ICT personnel, administrative staff and members of the Bar.
Dignitaries at the event included traditional rulers led by the Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu; senior members of the Bench and Bar; representatives of the State Commissioner of Police; and members of civil society organisations.
