PPDC unveils access to justice consortium

The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has unveiled a consortium on access to justice and effective justice delivery in Nigeria and Africa at large.

The inaugurated Consortium include PPDC, Citizen Gavel, Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA), Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre (Law Hub), and Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS).

Speaking during the inauguration on Thursday in Abuja, Mr Kenechukwu Agwu, the Senior programmes Manager, PPDC, said access to justice space is shrinking.

Agwu underscored the critical importance of swift and efficient justice delivery, lamenting the detrimental effects of delayed justice on individual rights, public trust in the judiciary among others.

He however , said that it was quite very small adding that the core of access to justice was speed, trust and perception.

He said “if I perceive that I’m not getting justice, then justice is not served, because justice needs not just to be served, but needs to be seen to have been served.

“In fact, there’s an emergency in the access to justice sector in Nigeria

“We partnering with a few of the organisations that have track record over time.

“There’s going to be a larger meeting under our project to bring together all the civil society actors in the justice space to a roundtable discussion, “he said.

Agwu said that the centre has been working with the government, specifically in the states.

Also speaking, the Director Partnerships and Innovation, PPDC, Ms Lucy Abagi said that the centre was looking at how it can sustain impact, strengthen organisations and provide a platform where innovations could thrive.

“We created the innovation hub last year. And currently we have about 50 organisations and professionals on the hub across five african countries.

“And under the component of the hub, we have the access to justice consortium. And today we gathered our partners that we actually looked at their strategic position in their objectives, their mandate, and it fits into what we want to do as an organisation, “he said.

Also, Munachi Okoro, Head of Communication and Knowledge, said that the PPDC had been committed to enhancing transparency, accountability, and good governance through various initiatives.

Okoro said that PPDC’s Access to Justice program emphasises the use of technology that could support the transformation of systems, processes and strategic procedural reform initiatives.

This, she said would address the inherent and systematic delays in the administration of civil proceedings and criminal justice.

“The Access to Justice Consortium recognises that collaboration is key. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the consortium fosters a comprehensive approach to tackle access to justice challenges.

“This collaborative effort will lead to the development of sustainable solutions that create a more efficient, equitable, and accessible justice system, “she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that discussions focused on the current landscape of access to justice in Nigeria, highlighting key challenges and barriers faced by various communities.

Consortium members identified short and long-term objectives, prioritised key areas for intervention, and developed detailed action plans for each strategic priority.

The meeting also addressed resource Mobilisation and fundraising strategies, stakeholder engagement and communication plans, and the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the impact of consortium activities.

NAN reports that PPDC is a non-governmental organisation and social enterprise dedicated to fostering transparent and accountable governance while increasing citizens’ participation in governance processes.