The Federal Government has concluded a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s federal laws, identifying 269 obsolete, archaic or spent enactments for removal from the statute books while recommending 663 others for inclusion in the proposed 2025 edition of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN).

The exercise, which covers more than two decades of legislative developments, represents the first comprehensive review and consolidation of the country’s federal laws since 2004.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), disclosed the development on Thursday, November 12, 2026, in Abuja while receiving the final report of the Committee on the Review, Update and Consolidation of the Laws of the Federation.

Fagbemi explained that the committee examined 932 federal enactments and 731 pieces of subsidiary legislation as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s legal framework and eliminate outdated provisions.

Of the 932 enactments reviewed, 663 were identified for inclusion in the proposed Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2025, while 269 were classified as obsolete, spent or repealed.

The Attorney-General said the reviewed legislation, together with relevant subsidiary laws, would provide a more reliable and accessible legal reference for courts, legal practitioners, government institutions, investors and members of the public.

He explained that the next step would be to present the committee’s report to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for onward transmission to the National Assembly for the necessary legislative consideration and action.

Fagbemi urged lawmakers to cooperate with the executive arm of government to ensure the timely consideration of the proposed legislative measures.

He described the exercise as a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the justice sector, improve the administration of justice and bring Nigeria’s legal system in line with contemporary realities and international best practices.

According to him, more than 20 years have passed since the last official consolidation of the Laws of the Federation in 2004, during which Nigeria experienced substantial legislative, constitutional, institutional and technological changes.

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He noted that several new laws and amendments had accumulated over the period, making a comprehensive review necessary to ensure that federal legislation remained coherent, current, accessible and responsive to the country’s needs.

Fagbemi warned that Nigeria must avoid another prolonged gap between comprehensive reviews, stressing the importance of establishing a sustainable system for regularly updating the country’s laws.

He said the quality, accuracy and practical usefulness of the revised legal framework must remain priorities, adding that the laws should promote the rule of law, protect citizens’ rights, strengthen governance and support national development and security.

Why the Federal Government is removing obsolete laws

Earlier, the chairman of the review committee, Olawale Fapohunda (SAN), disclosed that the assignment took more than two years and involved extensive legal research, legislative analysis, harmonisation and consolidation of existing federal legislation.

He explained that the committee’s responsibility went beyond compiling existing laws, as it also examined their continuing relevance, identified conflicting provisions and recommended the removal of redundant legislation.

According to Fapohunda, the exercise was designed to eliminate obsolete statutes, resolve inconsistencies and incorporate contemporary social, economic and technological developments into Nigeria’s legal framework.

The committee discovered several weaknesses in existing legislation, including archaic statutory language, cumbersome cross-references, outdated chapter numbers and inconsistencies in the sequencing of some Acts.

It also identified statutory fines and fees that no longer reflect current economic realities.

Some of the penalties prescribed under existing laws were as low as ₦10 and ₦50, despite significant changes in the country’s economic conditions over the years.

Fapohunda said such outdated provisions required further legislative attention to ensure that penalties and statutory charges remained relevant and effective.

How the review was conducted

The committee adopted a structured approach involving 14 thematic working groups supported by technical teams responsible for research, collation, drafting, quality assurance and editorial review.

The groups also participated in retreats and technical engagements across different locations to harmonise their findings, examine international best practices and improve the accuracy of the revised legislation.

The exercise involved consultations with several institutions, including the National Assembly, the Nigerian Law Reform Commission, the National Institute for Advanced Legal Studies and the Lagos State Law Reform Commission.

International and technical partners, including the Law Commission of England and Wales, LexisNexis South Africa and Law Pavilion, also contributed to the process.

Fapohunda further disclosed that the committee recommended the establishment of a centralised national repository of federal legislation to make existing laws easier to access and facilitate regular updates.

He explained that the absence of a comprehensive and easily accessible database of federal laws had made the committee’s assignment more difficult.

The committee also recommended that the Attorney-General issue an advisory note to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) outlining established procedures for reviewing their enabling laws and subsidiary legislation.

The recommendation followed recurring deficiencies in legal drafting by some government institutions, which could result in ambiguities, conflicting provisions and difficulties in implementing laws.

What happens next?

With the submission of the final report and draft 20-volume edition of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2025, the Federal Government is expected to forward the proposed measures to President Tinubu.

The President will subsequently transmit the relevant proposals to the National Assembly for consideration and necessary legislative action.

The proposed changes are expected to improve access to federal legislation, remove redundant provisions and provide a more organised legal framework for governance, business, investment and the administration of justice.

However, the proposed removal of the 269 obsolete enactments and the legislative measures arising from the review will require the appropriate legal and legislative processes before they can take effect.

Fagbemi said the government would work towards establishing a continuous review mechanism to ensure that future laws, amendments and subsidiary legislation are properly tracked and incorporated without another prolonged delay.