Tech
Justice TechNG Hackathon Yields 10 Legal System Innovators
Ten startups out of 82 that applied in the Justice Tech NG Hackathon and Accelerator 2025 have emerged winners of the second round of the initiative by the Federal Government.
The programme, organized by the office of the Special Assistant to the President on Justice Sector Reform and ICT/Digital and innovative Technology was principally designed to allow innovators pitch for ideas on how to improve the practice in Nigeria’s legal system with technology.
For decades, the Nigerian legal system had struggled under the weight of bureaucracy, with mountains of paperwork, case backlogs, detentions in police cells without trials, manual recording of court proceedings, missing files and delayed justice.
The concept of the Hackathon is therefore is to manage legal processes with technology and initiate ideas on how to use technology to simply legal system to make judicial process seamless and enthrone public trust in the system.
The ten winners will go into the next competitive phase and top three will emerge winners. The first wins N10 m, N5 m of it is in cash and the remaining is in kind in terms of office space and other resources; the second winner gets N7 million and N4 out of it will be in cash; and the third winner will win N5 m and N3m of it in cash.
Speaking at the innovators pitch in Lagos, Tsedaqah Fernandez, Special Assistant on Justice Reform and ICT/Digital Innovative Technology to President Tinubu further explained that the JusticeNG Tech Hackathon is about finding local solutions to local problem.
He said he encourages startups on how they can get into the legal justice market to improve it, address challenges and close gaps when a culprit is arrested and when he/she is taken to court
One of the ten winners, PocketLawyers’ pitch centered on building digital presence for lawyers. Under its platform, “lawyers will have digital presence and be able to have access to more clients while they are serving their existing clients with all the tools that they need”, Ngozi Nwbueze, CEO and founder Pocketlawyers who came first with her idea told BusinessDay
On how her idea would help legal y system, she said “because we are digitising the law firm system, that would help reduce the cost of legal services” as lawyers can have digital presence instead of physical offices which will translate to affordable services”.
Others presented ideas on how to connect lawyers to clients, simplify court recording proceedings and digitize detentions in police cells to enable identification of persons and allowing lawyers and NGOs become interested in some cases.
Announcing the result, Olayinka Faji, administrative Judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos division who was the head of the jurors said he was impressed by the idea’s focus on how to make legal practice more accessible. He said “law and order are vital to the system. If we want to encourage FDIs, the court system must be top notch”, he said.
He recognized the introduction of tech in legal system as important. He also said that the purpose of the Hackathon is to discover and encourage talents that will move the judiciary and the economy. “If we get the law and justice sector working, we have solved 60 % of our problems”, he said.
Businessday.ng
Nollywood actress, Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha has announced the death of her father, Leonard Ndukaife Chukwuka.
The actress disclosed this in an emotional post on Instagram on Friday, saying her father had “gone to be with the Lord.”
Chukwuka said she lost her mother 13 years ago and described the death of her father as painful, noting that she was now without either parent.
“I lost my mother 13 years ago and now that my father is gone, the thought that I have neither parent here anymore breaks my heart in a way I cannot fully explain. So na only me bayi?”
Nollywood actress, Chioma Akpotha and her late father, Leonard Chukwuka…Photo Credit: IG / chiomaakpotha
Describing her late father as “my daddy, papa’m, obara’m, my comfort,” the actress expressed gratitude for his long life and for the opportunity he had to see his children and grandchildren.
“I am so thankful you lived a long life, and I am grateful to God you saw your children and grandchildren. We had hoped you would meet your great-grandchildren too, mana nya diba!” she said.
Chukwuka also reflected on the difficulty of losing a parent, regardless of their age.
“No matter how many years we are given with a parent, we still want one more conversation, one more embrace, one more day,” she wrote.
She said she was grateful for the moments she shared with her father, particularly towards the end of his life.
Nollywood actress, Chioma Akpotha..Photo Credit: IG / chiomaakpotha
The actress said she had kept the news private while coming to terms with her grief before deciding to announce his death.
“I have held this news close while trying to understand my own grief,” she said.
She asked the public to keep her, her siblings and the entire Chukwuka family in their prayers, adding that details of her father’s funeral would be announced when the family was ready.
“Rest well, Olowo of Ikate, my father. I will always love you,” she wrote.
Chukwuka accompanied the announcement with biblical passages, including Proverbs 17:6 and Psalm 34:18, which speaks of the Lord being close to the brokenhearted.
The government has declared Monday, September 21, 2026, as a statutory public holiday to mark Founder’s Day.
The Ministry of the Interior announced the declaration in a notice dated September 14, 2026, informing the general public that the day should be observed as a public holiday throughout the country.
Founder’s Day is a day set aside to recognise the people whose efforts contributed to Ghana’s struggle for independence and the establishment of the country.
The day is closely associated with Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first Prime Minister and later President, who played a leading role in the country’s independence movement.
September 21 is also significant because it is Nkrumah’s birthday.
The holiday has, however, been the subject of changes over the years. Under the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act, 2019, August 4 was designated Founder’s Day, while September 21 was observed as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
The 2025 amendment changed this arrangement, with September 21 now listed as Founder’s Day. The Ministry of the Interior’s 2026 public holiday calendar confirms September 21 as Founder’s Day and a statutory public holiday.
Founder’s Day provides an opportunity for Ghanaians to reflect on the country’s journey to independence and remember the individuals and movements that contributed to the establishment of the Ghanaian state.
It is also a day to reflect on the values, sacrifices and political struggles that shaped Ghana’s path to independence.
The holiday falls on Monday, September 21, 2026, meaning workers, students and the general public will have a statutory holiday on that day.
The public is therefore encouraged to take note of the date and observe the holiday accordingly.
Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has reportedly died in the United Kingdom at the age of 77.
Idris was said to have died on Sunday, September 20, 2026, according to sources who disclosed the development.
As of press time, details about the circumstances surrounding his reported death remained unclear.
There was also no immediate public statement from members of his family confirming the report.
The former governor’s reported death is coming years after he left active political office in Kogi State, where he served two terms between 2003 and 2012.
Idris emerged as the PDP candidate for the Kogi governorship election held in 2003.
He defeated the then incumbent governor, Abubakar Audu, and was sworn into office on May 29, 2003.
His administration later faced a major legal challenge after the 2007 governorship election.
Although Idris was declared winner of the 2007 election, the result was challenged because Audu, who was the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), had been excluded from the election.
The legal battle eventually led to the nullification of the election.
The Court of Appeal upheld the decision in February 2008 and ordered a fresh election.
Idris subsequently returned to the ballot for the re-run election held in March 2008.
He was again declared winner and continued as governor of Kogi State.
His victory was also challenged by Audu, who alleged irregularities in the conduct of the election.
Idris eventually completed his tenure in January 2012.
He was succeeded by Captain Idris Wada, who also contested the governorship election on the platform of the PDP.
Before entering politics, Idris had built a career in business.
He established Ibro Trading Company and was involved in businesses covering areas such as construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality.
He also established a furniture factory in Sokoto and later founded Ibro Hotel.
His business activities helped establish his name outside Kogi State before he moved fully into politics.
Idris was born in 1949 in Idah, in present-day Kogi State.
He started his early education in Onitsha, Anambra State, before completing his primary education in Kano.
He later attended King’s Commercial College in Buguma, Rivers State.
He subsequently obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Abuja.
His years in public office placed him among the political figures who played important roles in the development of Kogi State during the period.
One of the incidents that brought Idris national attention occurred in 2006 following the crash of ADC Airlines Flight 53.
Three of his daughters were among the survivors of the crash.
The incident claimed several lives, while only a few passengers survived.
Reacting to the survival of his daughters at the time, Idris described the development as a “superlative show of mercy” from God.
He also called on Nigerians to join his family in thanksgiving following the survival of his children.
The former governor later faced another painful family tragedy in 2024.
His son, Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, a former member of the House of Representatives, died in Abuja shortly after observing the Eid-el-Fitr prayer.
Mohammed represented the Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015.
Reports at the time said the former lawmaker collapsed after returning home from the Eid prayer.
He was subsequently buried according to Islamic rites in Abuja.
The death of Mohammed Ibrahim Idris attracted condolences from political figures in Kogi State.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had condoled with the former governor and his family following the death of his son.
In his condolence message, Ododo described the late lawmaker as a man who had made meaningful contributions in politics and business.
The governor also recalled his last meeting with Mohammed in March 2024 during a visit involving political stakeholders from Omala Local Government Area.
The reported death of Ibrahim Idris would therefore come about two years after the death of his son.
Idris remained a notable figure in the political history of Kogi State even after leaving office.
His administration covered a period when the PDP maintained significant political influence in the state and at the national level.
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