RismadarVoice Reporters
March 10, 2026
Akwa Ibom State Judiciary has commenced the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in court proceedings as part of efforts to ensure faster, more efficient, and technology-driven administration of justice in the state.
The initiative began with a pilot training programme for judicial officers and court personnel, held at the Judiciary Headquarters along Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, on Tuesday.
The flag-off ceremony, which took place on Monday, attracted key stakeholders in the justice sector, including the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaete F. Fabian-Obot; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN; a representative of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja; the Chief Registrar, Affiong Usimka; judges and magistrates, as well as the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Uyo Branch, Ime Umofia.
In her opening remarks, Justice Fabian-Obot expressed appreciation to the trainers for their willingness to share knowledge and also acknowledged the role of the media in promoting transparency, public understanding, and confidence in the justice system.
She emphasized the need for the judiciary to embrace modern technology in the administration of justice, recalling the popular maxim that “justice delayed is justice denied.” According to her, adopting technological innovations such as artificial intelligence would significantly enhance the speed and efficiency of court processes.
The Chief Judge explained that when responsibly deployed, AI can provide valuable tools for legal research, case management, and court administration, noting that the technology would also reduce the burden of longhand writing traditionally associated with court proceedings.
She added that the innovation would help mitigate health challenges often experienced by judges due to prolonged writing during court sittings.
Justice Fabian-Obot, however, cautioned that the adoption of technology does not replace judicial reasoning or discretion, stressing that the responsibility for sound judgment remains with judges, guided by conscience, legal precedent, and the Constitution.
She further stated that the training would allow participants to explore both the opportunities and ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence in the judiciary, ensuring that the use of technology remains consistent with judicial independence, due process, and accountability.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of LexScript AI, Emeka Albert, commended the National Judicial Institute for its leadership in promoting innovation within Nigeria’s justice sector.
Albert explained that the week-long training sessions would involve technical teams assessing designated courtrooms and installing audio capture and transcription equipment required for the demonstration phase.
He disclosed that in the next stage of the exercise, the system would be deployed in live court sittings, where the Lextech Capture team would handle matters listed on the court’s cause list, capturing about ten cases daily.
According to him, the proceedings would be processed through an AI-assisted workflow to produce verbatim transcripts, which would be delivered to the court within 24 hours.
Also speaking, a representative of the National Judicial Institute, Chrystine Edwards, said Akwa Ibom State is among six states selected across Nigeria for the pilot programme.
The National Judicial Institute, established under the NJI Act of 1991, is responsible for organizing training programmes aimed at improving the capacity and productivity of judicial officers and court staff nationwide.
Artificial Intelligence refers to the use of computer systems capable of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence, often through machine learning techniques applied to large datasets.
