The Federal High Court has begun moving its Lagos Judicial Division to a newly completed complex on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, more than a decade after construction of the facility began.
The relocation from the court’s current premises at No. 24, Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, started on 31 July and is being carried out in phases, according to a notice issued by the Chief Registrar of the court, Yahaya Shafa.
According to the notice shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the new complex is located at No. 1B, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi.
The first phase of the relocation covers Vacation Courts 7 and 12 and Courts 2, 3, 4 and 5.
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The offices of the Chief Registrar, the Deputy Chief Registrars and the Electronic Litigation Registrar of Process (ELRP) are also being moved in the first phase.
Mr Shafa noted that the phased relocation was intended to ensure a smooth transition and minimise disruption to court proceedings and administrative activities.
He asked the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), litigants, the Lagos State Government and members of the public to take note of the relocation and make the necessary adjustments.
Lawyers and litigants with cases before the affected courts are expected to confirm the venue of their proceedings and other official engagements as the relocation continues.
He explained that the remaining courts and offices will be moved subsequently. He added that further announcements would be made as the exercise progresses.
The new complex is expected to provide improved facilities for judges, lawyers, litigants and other court users and create a more conducive environment for judicial proceedings.
In June 2023, the Administrative Judge of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Olayinka Faji, stressed that the nine-floor complex was expected to begin operations later that year.
Mr Faji, speaking during the 2023 Nigerian Bar Association Lagos Branch Law Week, said four retrofitted courtrooms in the facility were expected to come into use.
He noted that the project had faced challenges, including funding difficulties, which he linked to broader problems affecting the judiciary.
At the time, Mr Faji said he had inspected the courtrooms and had been assured by those handling the project that the facility would be ready before the end of 2023.
More than three years later, the phased relocation has now commenced, moving judicial activities from the old premises on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive to the Bourdillon Road complex.