The National Judicial Institute and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation on Monday held a sensitisation seminar for Justices of the Court of Appeal in Lagos, aimed at strengthening judicial capacity in bank liquidation cases and improving depositor protection within Nigeria’s financial system.
Held in Lagos, the seminar focused on improving the judiciary’s handling of disputes involving failed banks, while ensuring that court decisions support financial stability and reinforce public confidence in the banking sector.
It was themed “Enhancing the Efficacy of Bank Liquidation and Depositors’ Protection.”
Speaking at the event, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said the programme was designed to deepen appellate justices’ understanding of the legal and technical issues involved in bank liquidation.
He noted that confidence is the foundation of any banking system, warning that when depositors lose their money due to bank failures, the consequences extend far beyond individual losses.
“What makes depositors invest is confidence. When investments go down the drain for one reason or another, it affects the image of the country and discourages people from doing business with financial institutions,” he said.
Adejumo said judges dealing with financial sector cases must be conversant not just with legal principles, but also with how the banking system actually operates.
“Judges must know how the laws operate, how the technical aspects are handled by bankers, and the concerns of depositors when things go wrong,” he said.
He emphasised that continuous workshops and seminars are essential to keep judges abreast of evolving financial regulations and the operational challenges facing institutions like the NDIC.
Adejumo noted that the long-standing collaboration between the NJI and the NDIC has yielded positive outcomes and expressed optimism that the latest engagement would further strengthen judicial decision-making in financial disputes.
He also used the occasion to address concerns about public perception of the judiciary, saying that criticism of the courts is often driven by personal interests and a limited understanding of how the justice system operates.
“In every society, there is perception, and there is reality. The person who wins a case praises the court, but once that same person loses another matter, the court is suddenly accused of wrongdoing,” he said.
He noted that delays in the justice system are often a result of the heavy caseloads handled by judges.
“If a judge has 500 cases on the docket, before 100 are concluded, another 400 may have been filed. To the ordinary man, it appears the court is not working, but they do not understand the pressures within the system,” he said.
While acknowledging that there have been isolated cases of misconduct among judicial officers, Adejumo stressed that such incidents do not define the judiciary as a whole.
“The National Judicial Council is not sparing anyone found wanting, but that does not mean the judiciary is bad. I can assure Nigerians that the judiciary will not fail,” he said.
He also urged journalists to report court proceedings responsibly.
“The media has an important role to play. Report accurately. Don’t rely on one-sided interpretations of judgments. Go to the registry, get the facts, and present the full picture,” he said.
“We are not an autocratic judicial system; we are a democratic judicial system that listens to the people and works according to the law.”
In her keynote address, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, commended the National Judicial Institute and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation for organising the sensitisation seminar aimed at strengthening judicial capacity in cases involving financial institutions.
She described the programme as well-structured and timely, while expressing appreciation to the organisers for convening it for Justices of the Court of Appeal.
“She said, “It is not a new thing for such collaborative efforts between the NJI, the judiciary, and the NDIC, among other financial institutions in Nigeria, to organise events of this nature in order to generate awareness and sensitise honourable judges and justices of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the peculiarities in cases involving financial institutions and related matters.”
Dongban-Mensem, who was represented by Justice Ali Gumel of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, conveyed the apologies of the Court of Appeal President for her inability to attend the event, noting that she was engaged with pressing official duties.
According to him, such collaborative engagements between the NJI, the judiciary, and financial institutions like the NDIC have become vital platforms for deepening judicial understanding of the unique issues involved in cases concerning banks and other financial entities.
He added that the seminar forms part of a broader series of similar programmes which, over time, have contributed to strengthening judicial reasoning and decision-making in financial sector disputes.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDIC, Mr Thompson Sunday, said effective bank liquidation depends largely on timely and well-reasoned judicial decisions.
Sunday, who was represented by the Executive Director of Corporate Services, Mrs Emily Osuji, said the seminar formed part of the corporation’s strategic efforts to deepen collaboration with the judiciary, especially the appellate courts, whose rulings have significant influence on bank resolution processes.
He noted that the NDIC, as a statutory financial safety-net institution, is responsible for deposit insurance, banking supervision, distress resolution, and the liquidation of failed banks, often after the Central Bank of Nigeria revokes operating licences.
According to him, the effective execution of these responsibilities depends significantly on the clarity, consistency, and timeliness of judicial decisions, particularly at the appellate level where key legal principles are firmly settled.
