The Country Representative of the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (Hiil), Mrs Ijeoma Nwafor, said land disputes and domestic violence topped the list of its 2025 Justice Needs and Satisfaction (JNS) in Nigeria report.
Nwafor said this in Abuja yesterday during the presentation of the report that tracked how justice problems evolve over time.
She said the study was conducted over three years, and followed the same group of Nigerians to understand the shifting nature of their justice experiences.
She said that land disputes and domestic violence were among the most frequently reported issues, but the findings point to a broader justice gap affecting millions.
“Land disputes affected a large portion of the population and were among the most persistent legal problems reported. By the final year of the study, they accounted for 24 per cent of all unresolved, long-lasting cases.
“These disputes were also less likely to be resolved through formal mechanisms.
“Many people turned instead to direct negotiation or community leaders, often citing the high cost and complexity of formal justice processes as key reasons for avoiding the courts,’’ she said.
The Country Rep said that domestic violence was reported by 30 per cent of respondents during the study.
“This includes physical violence, emotional abuse, economic deprivation and sexual violence.
“The impact was profound, with survivors reporting stress-related illness, financial loss, harm to family relationships and even job loss.
“Although most people who resolved these problems said the outcome was fair, many others stopped taking action due to a lack of hope or trust in the justice system,’’ she said.
In the areas of key patterns and barriers she said the study shed light on several broader justice trends.
“Issues with neighbours and family members, for example, are likely to come back if the root causes are not addressed or if the original resolution was weak or informal.
“In such cases, formal systems are often bypassed entirely.
“Another finding is that long-lasting legal problems disproportionately affect urban poor communities.
“The majority of these cases were linked to land, domestic violence or debt,’’ she said.
She further said that in spite of the identified challenges, the report showed that people still tried to solve their problems, often through negotiation, family members or local leaders.
“The formal justice system is generally seen in a positive light, but many believe it is designed for lawyers rather than ordinary citizens.
“Trust in police is lower compared to other actors such as religious leaders or community authorities,’’ she said.