The Lagos State Law Reform Commission (LAWRECOM) has commenced a comprehensive audit of the state’s laws to identify obsolete provisions, legislative gaps, inconsistencies, duplications and other areas requiring amendment, consolidation, repeal or replacement.
The exercise, being conducted with technical support from the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), marks the first comprehensive statewide assessment of Lagos laws. It is expected to produce an authoritative inventory of existing laws and a prioritised framework to guide future legislative reforms.
Lagos currently has more than 250 laws enacted over several decades, against the backdrop of rapid urbanisation, economic expansion, technological advancement and population growth.
Executive Secretary of LAWRECOM, Mrs Oluyemisi Ogunlola, said the audit would assess whether existing laws remain relevant to present-day realities and whether the responsibilities of government institutions are clearly defined.
She cited the Administration of Estates Law of 1959 and the 1969 law on abandoned properties as examples of older legislation that remain part of the state’s legal framework despite subsequent legal developments.
Ogunlola stressed that “law reform cannot be undertaken in-depth without a proper audit,” noting that laws must be periodically reviewed as society continues to evolve.
The audit will also examine overlapping institutional mandates, regulatory uncertainties and provisions that could hinder effective governance, administration and service delivery.
NIALS Director of Research, Professor Emmanuel Edem Okon, who heads the institute’s technical team, pledged NIALS’ expertise and commitment to the assignment.
LAWRECOM said the outcome of the exercise would guide the systematic retention, amendment, consolidation, repeal or replacement of existing laws, while strengthening Lagos’ legal framework for good governance, investment, innovation and socio-economic development.