About Us
Core Functions And Activities Of The Ministry
The Federal Ministry of Justice is a key government Ministry that facilitates a fair, impartial, and efficient administration of Justice in the country, in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered). The Ministry is led by the Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, and assisted by the Solicitor-General of the Federation & Permanent Secretary.
The Ministry also provides a broad spectrum of needs‐based legal and ancillary services to various government Ministries, agencies, parastatals, citizens and residents alike, with the objective of enhancing access to justice, adherence to the rule of law, and facilitating a responsive legal system that promotes public confidence in the administration of justice,
The Ministry works in collaboration with other justice sector stakeholders, and coordinates interventions across the justice value chain to improve efficiencies in the justice system, consistent with the ideals of democracy.
The mandates, powers, and duties of the Ministry, which are inherent in the Offices of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Solicitor-General of the Federation, are defined and derived from the Constitution, numerous statutory provisions, and the Common Law. These mandates are also exercised through officers working in different departments and agencies of the FGN and with zonal officers deployed to the geo-political zones of the country. The Ministry is comprised of 17 departments, 9 units and 2 statutory Committees. The Ministry also oversights a number of allied justice sector institutions and parastatals.
- the representation the Federal Government of Nigeria in all legal matters;
- the provision of legal advisory services, opinions and ancillary services to the President and his Cabinet, as well as the heads of the executive departments and agencies of the government;
- the representation or the supervision of the representation of the Federal Government of Nigeria in legal proceedings, foreign and domestic, in which the Government of Nigeria is a party or has an interest;
- ensuring access to justice for all persons through observance of the rule of law and due process;
- the performance or the supervision of the performance of other duties and mandates specifically required by statute or an Executive Order;
- interfacing between the Executive and Judicial arms of Government;
- interfacing between the Executive and Legislative arms of government through the articulation and translation of Government policies into legislation;
- advising government on its treaty obligations and international relations;
- the performance of ministerial oversight on allied justice sector institutions; and
- sustenance of a healthy relationship between all arms and tiers of government.
These functions are discharged through core departments in the Ministry, the Legal Units domiciled in the various MDAs who act as representatives of the Attorney General of the Federation within their respective organizations and the liaison offices located in the six geo-political zones of the country. The Ministry also supervises the activities of the following parastatals:
- Nigerian Law Reform Commission
- Legal Aid Council
- Council of Legal Education
- National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
- National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons
- Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
- Nigerian Copyrights Commission; and
- Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Lagos.
Structure and Core Activities
To undertake and achieve its statutory mandate, the Federal Ministry of Justice is structured as follows:
(a) Professional Departments:
(i) Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF);
(ii) International and Comparative Law (ICL);
(iii) Civil Litigation and Public Law (CL&P);
(iv) Solicitors Department (SD);
(v) Legal Drafting (LD);
(vi) Citizens’ Right (CR); and
(vii) Law Reporting and Publications (LRP).
(b) Service Departments:
(i) Human Resources Management (HRM).
(ii) Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS).
(iii) Finance and Account (F & A).
(iv) General Services.
(v) Reform Coordination and Service Improvement (RCSI).
(vi) Procurement.
(c) Units:
(i) Information and Protocol
(ii) Internal Audit
(iii) Freedom of Information Act Implementation
(iv) Central Authorities
(v) Justice Sector Reform Committee.
(vii) Cybercrime
(viii) ICT
Vision Statement
To make Justice accessible to all, consistent with the ideals of democracy and the rule of law.
Mission Statement
To maintain the highest standard of professionalism, to the ideals of fairness and justice and the sustenance of a healthy relationship between all arms and tiers of government.
