Sokoto · November 2025
Justice within reach
Two days, one table: judges, legislators, civil society and traditional leaders on reforming justice in North West Nigeria.
In late November 2025, International Alert Nigeria convened a two-day, high-level dialogue on justice sector reform in Sokoto, bringing together government officials, judges, legislators, civil society organisations, traditional leaders and development partners from across the North West.
The programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through SPRiNG, the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme. As Country Director, Dr Kingsley Udo framed the stakes plainly: rising insecurity, banditry and communal violence have made access to justice urgent, and slow judicial processes undermine public confidence in the institutions meant to keep the peace.
The Multidoor Courthouse
At the centre of the reform agenda is the Multidoor Courthouse model: a courthouse with many doors, where mediation and arbitration sit alongside litigation so disputes can find the fastest fair path to resolution. By the time of the dialogue, a Multidoor Courthouse bill had reached third reading in Zamfara State, with awareness campaigns underway in Katsina.
The Sokoto gathering also announced the Powering Peace through Climate Action project for the state, linking the justice agenda to the climate pressures that feed resource conflict.