ADR: We visited Lagos House of Assembly to gain knowledge—Rt Hon Bilyaminu Ismail, Zamfara Speaker

 Behind the visit was the renowned International Alert Nigeria in partnership with the Zamfara State Government under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria Programme (SPRiNG), an initiative designed to help states manage natural resource-related conflicts, improve security governance, and build inclusive justice systems.

Of course, access to justice remains a pressing challenge across Nigeria, particularly in states where conventional courts are overburdened, costly, and time-consuming. ADR mechanisms such as Multi-Door Courthouses, already established in Lagos and Kaduna, have reduced case backlogs, improved public confidence, and fostered social cohesion.

Speaking at the event, the Zamfara State Speaker,  Rt. Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail said, “We are here for a learning visit, regarding a very important bill transmitted by the Roadmaster and game changer, the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, actually what we came for is to get the knowledge to make our own kaw richer and people oriented, being that this law is talking directly to the people of Zamfara State and by extension it will promote access to justice especially to vulnerable people in Zamfara State.

“So that is why we came to Lagos because of the standard, the innovation and the experience they have. Lagos State House of Assembly has similar law, the multi-door court which is fully functional,” he said.

On the next step after the Lagos visit, he said, “The next step is that when we get back to Zamfara, the relevant committee will take the bill, x-ray the content, make their necessary observations and recommendations, translate to the House for onward legislative process.”

On his part, the Clark/Head of Legislative Services, Zamfara House of Assembly, Mohammed Aliyu, speaking on the implication of the Zamfara Alternative Dispute Resolution Bill, said “It aims to ease congestion in the conventional court, ensure speedy dispensation of justice, that is efficiency, it also give opportunity to parties involved in dispute to resolve issues under their own terms and conditions. 

“Zamfara like any other state in the federation has its own issues, concerning especially dispensation of justice. We know the conventional courts have their own procedures, which are bottlenecked by some constraints, some cases are pending for a very long time to be resolved,” he stated

On whether, his team achieved the intended goal of the visit he said, “We achieved significantly most of our goals, they have excellent structure, the managers are excellent too, they have given us both electronic and hardcopy of their materials, we have added them to what we already know and they answered us accordingly. So we believe moving forward we are going to put all of these together to move forward,” he said.

Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Barr. Musa Garba, gave insight into steps taken in fashioning out the bill. “In fashioning this bill we collaborated with International Alert Nigeria and have  several engagements in Gusau, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Lagos. Several persons who have knowledge about the bill were consulted, we had several discussions with them and they told us how they came about their bills, including here in Lagos. They all brought out modalities on how we can come up with our own bill. Now with all the information we also made research.

“This bill empowers the judge to advise litigants on how they can settle their disputes out of court. To tell you how important this bill is, the Zamfara State Small Claims Court, in a single month, over 200 cases were treated. So you can see the reason his Excellency, the Governor of Zamfara values this court.”

Kingsley Udo, Country Director of International Alert Nigeria, praised Zamfara lawmakers for seeking local solutions instead of foreign models.  “I am proud as a Nigerian to see that Zamfara lawmakers did not go abroad to learn ADR systems. They came to Lagos, where proven models are transforming justice delivery—making it more accessible, affordable, and trusted by citizens,” Udo said.

Udo stressed that justice is a right, not a privilege, adding that denying it only fuels grievances and conflict. According to him, once established, the proposed Zamfara ADR Center could serve as a model for other states, just as Lagos has done.

Among the delegation also included civil society voices such as Musa Umar, Executive Director of Voluntary Aid Initiative, Zamfara State, ensuring that both government and community perspectives shaped the learning exchange.

The lawmakers described the lessons from Lagos and Kaduna as “treasures” that will guide the establishment of Zamfara’s ADR Center and the passage of the ADR Bill currently before the Assembly.

At a press conference in Lagos to close the visit, Speaker Ismail reaffirmed the Assembly’s resolve to fast-track the bill, pledging to hold a public hearing once lawmakers return to Gusau.

One legislator, visibly inspired, remarked: “My heart is filled with so much delight as we conclude this important peer learning journey.

Sunday Jimoh, Program Manager, International Alert Nigeria, commended the commitment of the Zamfara team, noting that their willingness to learn from homegrown models shows that states can take ownership of justice reforms that work for their people.

International Alert Nigeria reiterated its commitment to supporting states in adopting ADR, “With what we have seen in Lagos and Kaduna, we will continue to help states build inclusive and conflict-sensitive justice systems. Sustainable peace and resilience are possible when justice is accessible to all,” Udo said.

Since 2011, International Alert has been active in Nigeria, working on peace-building, conflict prevention, and social cohesion, including the, girls, and children affected by violent conflict.