Lagos, March 31, 2026 (NAN) The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has called for a stronger and more responsive legal framework to address governance challenges in the digital era.
Amupitan made the call in his opening remarks at the 47th Founders’ Day Lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS).
He was the Chairman of the occasion.
The lecture entitled “Civic Participation, Rule of Law and Accountable Governance in a Digital Era” was held on Tuesday at the Ayo Ajomo Auditorium, University of Lagos.
Amupitan said the digital environment had transformed governance globally, making it necessary for Nigeria to strengthen laws and institutions to protect democratic processes.
Amupitan said the digital era required collaboration among legal scholars, policymakers, technologists and the civil society to build an accountable and inclusive governance structure.
According to him, technology is reshaping governance and presents both opportunities and significant risks.
He said that digital platforms amplified citizens’ voices and improved transparency, creating opportunities for participation and accountability in governance.
The INEC chairman said the digital space also presented challenges such as misinformation, digital manipulation, data breaches and concerns around artificial intelligence.
He said that the developments continued to test the nation’s legal system, stressing the need for laws that would keep pace with technological change.
Amupitan warned that technological innovations must not run ahead of regulation or weaken democratic institutions, hence the need for forward-looking legal frameworks.
He said that the event offered an opportunity to reflect on NIALS’s legacies and its role in legal reforms and national development.
According to him, institutions remain relevant not by history alone, but by their adaptability, responsiveness and impact on the society.
Amupitan commended NIALS for its contributions to legal development, describing the institute as a bridge between theory and practice in legal scholarship.
He urged the institute to strengthen its engagement with emerging digital governance issues and evolving legal challenges.
He said that NIALS had continued to produce research outputs, hold policy dialogues and train lawyers, judicial officers and policymakers over the years.
Amupitan called on the institute to keep generating evidence-based insights to guide the development of adaptive legal frameworks in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Director-General of NIALS, Prof. Abdulqadir Abikan, said the institute remained committed to advancing legal knowledge and supporting governance through research.
Abikan said that the event reflected the vision of the 1966 Nigerian Association of Law Teachers conference, which led to the establishment of the institute in spite of setbacks by civil war.
He paid tribute to past legal icons and former directors-general, whose contributions helped to shape NIALS into Nigeria’s apex legal research institution.
According to him, the institute continues to support government agencies through research in criminal justice, environmental justice, money laundering reforms and consumer protection.
He said NIALS recently completed a MacArthur-funded project that produced policy bulletins, case digests and 23 drafted court rules and practice directions.
Abikan added that the institute trained 972 participants in 2025 through 31 capacity-building programmes, excluding public lectures and hybrid seminars.
He acknowledged challenges such as inflation, staff attrition and the institute’s temporary office status in Abuja, saying that efforts were yielding positive results in those directions.
Abikan also announced the recovery of the institute’s long-disputed property on Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, after a 16-year legal battle.
He appealed to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for support in completing the institute’s permanent headquarters in Abuja. (NAN)
