Nigeria’s Chief Justice Hosts Chief Justice Komba Kamanda, Pledges Stronger Judicial Collaboration

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, has hosted the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, His Lordship Justice Komba Kamanda, and his delegation at the Supreme Court Building in the Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

Welcoming her Sierra Leonean counterpart, Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun described the visit as an honour and a valuable opportunity for mutual learning. She recalled first meeting Chief Justice Kamanda in Banjul, The Gambia, during the recently concluded 20th Triennial Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association Conference.

“You are most welcome. I am confident that your visit will be rich in knowledge sharing,” she said, while introducing Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, including the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Honourable Justice John T. Tsoho, who led the delegation.

She noted that Nigeria currently has 21 Supreme Court Justices, though one recently retired. She added that plans are underway to fill the vacancy. The Chief Justice explained that the compulsory retirement age for Justices in Nigeria is 70, while voluntary retirement is permitted at 65.

Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration between the two judiciaries and pledged her support whenever her intervention may be needed.

In his remarks, Chief Justice Komba Kamanda expressed appreciation for the warm reception and hospitality. He explained that the purpose of their visit was a judicial study tour aimed at learning from Nigeria’s successes and understanding how various challenges were addressed.

He highlighted the relatively small size of Sierra Leone’s Judiciary and noted that the retirement age for Judges is currently 65. However, he is considering advocating for an increase to 70 as part of an ongoing constitutional review process by the Government of Sierra Leone.

Honourable Chief Justice Kamanda also shared his impression of the National Judicial Institute of Nigeria, commending its infrastructure and administrative framework. He reiterated that continuous professional development is a cornerstone of his administration and expressed his commitment to fully operationalizing Sierra Leone’s Judicial and Legal Training Institute (JLTI) to provide training for judges, magistrates, and judicial support staff.

He concluded by thanking the Chief Justice of Nigeria for the warm welcome and willingness to collaborate.