Federal High Court kicks off E-filing platform in Lagos Judicial Division April 27
By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The Federal High Court of Nigeria is formally notifying all Legal Practitioners and the general public particularly in Lagos division that with effect from April 27, 2026, the electronic filing (e-filing) platform shall become operational in the Lagos Judicial Division.
With this development, the FHC states that the final date for the manual filing of new cases in the Lagos division shall be 24th April, 2026 and thereafter, all new filings must be conducted exclusively through the e-filing platform.
According to a release signed by the Acting Chief Registrar, Federal High Court of Nigeria , Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, FC ARB, on March 30, 2026, all matters instituted prior to the go-live date shall continue to be processed manually until judgement is delivered and such matters are finally disposed off.
In view of the new practice, Legal Practitioners are therefore hereby advised that any person who, whether deliberately or inadvertently, understates the amount claimed or inaccurately declares the number or nature of documents filed, thereby resulting in an under-assessment of the prescribed filing fees shall be required to pay the outstanding balance in addition to a penalty of Ten Thousand Naira (₦10,000) per filing.
“To ensure a seamless transition, all Legal Practitioners are required to obtain their Legal Mail accounts prior to the go live date, as possession of a Legal Mail address is a mandatory prerequisite for access to the e-filing platform. Applications for Legal Mail accounts can be made via: https://nigerianbar.ng.
“All documents requiring oath administration must be processed through the e-Affidavit platform (https://affidavit.courts.gov.ng). Notwithstanding this, the deponent must physically appear before a Commissioner for Oaths for the administration of the oath.
“Furthermore, every Law Firm/Chambers shall be required to upload all relevant registration documents issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) when creating their profile on the e-filing platform.
“Instructional videos providing detailed guidance on the use of the e-filing system are available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@JITPO-Com. These materials will also be disseminated via designated Lawyers’ WhatsApp platforms.
According to the release, a two-day interactive training session on the e-filing system shall be held within the week of 20th to 24th April, 2026. The exact date, time, and venue shall be communicated in due course.
“All Legal Practitioners are hereby enjoined to be guided accordingly and to ensure strict compliance.” he stated.
