Law Reform Conference Seeks More Powers For States, LGs

The inaugural Conference of All Law Reform Commissions in Nigeria, held in Benin City from September 28 to 29, 2026, called for extensive legislative reforms to address federalism imbalances, enhance local government autonomy and redistribute powers to states. This included fiscal federalism, a revision of the Exclusive Legislative List in favor of states, and full judicial federalism.

These recommendations were detailed in a communiqué issued at the conference's conclusion. The event, themed 'Consolidating Nigeria’s Democracy through Law Reform: Charting the Way Forward,' was hosted by Edo State Law Reform Commission at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy. Edo State Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo opened the proceedings, while Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), represented by Otunba Wale Fapohunda (SAN), delivered the keynote address on national security and human rights.

The conference emphasized the necessity of balancing national security interests with protecting citizens' fundamental rights, advocating for a transparent national intelligence-sharing system to bolster security. It also recommended reforms to police investigation procedures, enhance police accountability, and ensure that heightened local government allocations translate into tangible infrastructure improvements.

The conference stressed that financial autonomy at the grassroots must result in enhanced services, citing the need for adequate and sustainable funding for law reform commissions. It proposed a legal framework to compel government bodies to act on law reform commissions' recommendations within set timeframes, warning that non-compliance undermines law reform's potential impact on governance and national development.

Additionally, the conference advocated reforms in electoral processes to resolve disputes swiftly, and a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s tertiary education curriculum to integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics.