Justice Adejumo Assumes Leadership at National Judicial Institute

As the ninth administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) Abuja, Justice Babatunde Adejumo (rtd) took over on July 31, 2025, when the time of the previous administrator, Justice Salisu G. Abdullahi (rtd), ended.

Remember that at its July 3, 2025, meeting, the National Judicial Institute’s Board of Governors, chaired by Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, authorized the appointment of Justice Adejumo as the Institute’s Administrator, effective August 1, 2025.

The new administrator was greeted and cordially accepted by the Institute’s management and a few key personnel, according to a statement released on Friday by Kolade Umoru, Head of Information and Public Relations at NJI.

The Director of Administration, Mr. Osmond Otobo, spoke on behalf of the management and principal officers at the Institute’s Friday welcome reception, praising the new Administrator as a judicial officer who demonstrated exceptional leadership skills while serving as the President of the National Industrial Court in Abuja.

At the NICN, Justice Adejumo was characterized by Otobo as “a seasoned judicial administrator who made giant strides and transformation, which include various law reforms, physical infrastructures, and other remarkable achievements during his tenure as President of the Court.”

He also praised Justice Adejumo, whom he called “a great judicial technocrat,” for being appointed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The Nigerian judiciary and the Institute are both appreciative.

In addition to wishing him a prosperous term in office, Mr. Otobo reassured the new Administrator of the loyalty of the management and staff as well as their dedication to diligence and productivity.

The Institute, he informed Justice Adejumo, is “one big family where there is culture for good working relationship amongst staff and the Administrator.”

Justice Adejumo, the Administrator, responded by thanking the management for hosting a reception for him. He emphasized that he is not new to the Institute and has been acquainted with it since 1993. He has worked directly or indirectly with the Institute through previous Chief Justices of Nigeria.

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He advised the workforce of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to embrace hard work and discipline, promising to repeat his performance there.

As a detribalized Nigerian, Justice Adejumo further pledged to handle every case on its own merits. However, he did recognize that NJI is a significant institution of the Nigerian judiciary, “thus it is the mirror to the public perception.”

In addition to promising to update the training materials and curriculum to reflect international best practices once he settles down, he urged NJI employees to be open and honest in their interactions.

In addition to overhauling the Institute’s information technology and library centers to increase accessibility and patronage worldwide, Justice Adejumo pledged to expedite staff training and retraining across all cadres and ranks and improve worker welfare packages.

Before joining NJI, Justice Adejumo served as President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) with distinction. He is a highly respected jurist, seasoned administrator, and teacher with extensive knowledge of judicial administration and continuing education.

“The Institute’s efforts to promote judicial capacity, development, and institutional innovation in knowledge, performance, and ethical standards in the Nigerian Judiciary are anticipated to be greatly strengthened by these attributes,” the statement read.