Nigeria seeks repeal of 269 obsolete federal laws

Nigeria’s Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi said on Thursday that a federal law-review committee identified 269 federal laws for repeal and 663 others for National Assembly scrutiny, a Leadership news report said on Nov. 13.

The exercise matters for courts, public agencies and investors because Nigeria’s official federal code has not had a formal review since 2004, a gap of more than 20 years.

Fagbemi spoke in Abuja while receiving the reviewed Laws of the Federation of Nigeria covering 2004 to 2025 from Olawale Fapounda, SAN, chairman of the committee.

“I am informed that the Committee examined 932 Federal enactments and 731 subsidiary legislations. Of the 932 enactments considered, 663, together with their relevant subsidiary legislation, have been identified for inclusion in the LFN 2025,” Fagbemi said.

The committee described 269 laws as obsolete, archaic and spent. Those measures are expected to be removed from the federal statute book, while the 663 others would go to the National Assembly for review and possible passage as updated laws.

Fagbemi said the Laws of the Federation should provide a dependable reference point for courts, lawyers, public bodies, investors and citizens. He said new statutes and amendments had built up since the last official review, creating the need for a more coherent and accessible body of federal law.

“Ultimately, our objective is to build a modern, coherent and accessible legal framework that promotes the rule of law, strengthens the administration of justice, supports effective governance, protects the rights of citizens and contributes to national development and security,” he said.

Fapounda said the committee spent more than two years reviewing, harmonising and consolidating federal legislation. He identified areas still requiring lawmakers’ attention, including outdated statutory language, difficult cross-references, old chapter numbers and sequencing inconsistencies in some Acts.

Fagbemi said the committee worked through 14 thematic working groups, with retreats and technical engagements used to reconcile the groups’ work and benchmark international practices. He credited support from the ROLAC Programme, the Law Commission of England and Wales, LexisNexis South Africa, the Lagos State Law Reform Commission and Law Pavilion.

The review does not by itself change Nigerian law. Fagbemi said the next step is to present the report to President Bola Tinubu for onward transmission to the National Assembly for legislative consideration and action.

Source: news report, Leadership via AllAfrica, Nov. 13, 2026