Akin Kuponiyi
The Federal High Court of Nigeria has formally notified all legal practitioners and the general public, particularly in the Lagos Division, that, with effect from April 27, 2026, the electronic filing (e-filing) platform will become operational in the Lagos Judicial Division.
With this development, the court states that the final date for the manual filing of new cases in the Lagos Division will be April 24, 2026. Thereafter, all new filings must be conducted exclusively through the e-filing platform.
According to a statement signed by the Acting Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, FCArb, on March 30, 2026, all matters instituted prior to the go-live date will continue to be processed manually until judgment is delivered, and such matters are finally disposed of.
In view of this new practice, legal practitioners are advised that any person who, whether deliberately or inadvertently, understates the amount claimed or inaccurately declares the number or nature of documents filed—thereby resulting in an under-assessment of the prescribed filing fees—will be required to pay the outstanding balance in addition to a penalty of ten thousand naira (₦10,000) per filing.
“To ensure a seamless transition, all legal practitioners are required to obtain their Legal Mail accounts prior to the go-live date, as possession of a Legal Mail address is a mandatory prerequisite for access to the e-filing platform. Applications for Legal Mail accounts can be made via: https://nigerianbar.ng.
“All documents requiring oath administration must be processed through the e-Affidavit platform (https://affidavit.courts.gov.ng). Notwithstanding this, the deponent must physically appear before a Commissioner for Oaths for the administration of the oath.
“Furthermore, every law firm or chambers is required to upload all relevant registration documents issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) when creating their profile on the e-filing platform.
“Instructional videos providing detailed guidance on the use of the e-filing system are available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@JITPO-Com. These materials will also be disseminated via designated lawyers’ WhatsApp platforms.”
According to the statement, a two-day interactive training session on the e-filing system will be held during the week of April 20 to 24, 2026. The exact date, time, and venue will be communicated in due course.
“All legal practitioners are hereby enjoined to be guided accordingly and to ensure strict compliance,” he stated.
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