Ten innovative startups have been selected as winners in the second round of JusticeTechNG 2025, Nigeria’s pioneering national hackathon and accelerator programme dedicated to justice innovation and digital reform. Organised under the leadership of the Special Assistant to the President on Justice Sector Reform and ICT/Digital and Innovative Technology, Mr Fernandez Marcus-Obiene, the initiative seeks to tackle long-standing inefficiencies in Nigeria’s justice system by fostering digital solutions tailored for legal transformation.
The programme, which began with a three-day hackathon from June 3 to 5 in Lagos, has now moved into its accelerator phase from June 10 to July 10, culminating in a Demo Day, where finalists will pitch their innovations before a distinguished panel of judges comprising legal experts, tech leaders, investors, and government representatives.
According to organisers, over 80 submissions were received nationwide, screened by a 14-member jury of professionals drawn from the legal, technology, and civil society sectors. Entries were judged on relevance, eligibility, and innovation potential.
The selected startups are tackling a wide range of justice-related issues, including:
Access to legal aid and rights awareness
Court filing and digitised administration
Crime prevention and justice transparency
Prisoner reintegration support
Digital legal education
Justice access for women, children, and vulnerable groups
The 10 winning startups will undergo a four-week acceleration programme featuring mentorship, policy exposure, technical guidance, and strategic partnerships. They will also compete for ₦22 million in prize support, comprising:
₦10 million for first place (₦5m in cash and ₦5m in services)
₦7 million for second place
₦5 million for third place
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Justice Kashim Zannah, Chief Judge of Borno State and Chair of the Judiciary Information Technology Committee of the National Judicial Council (NJC), applauded the initiative, calling it “timely and necessary.” “This is a step toward digitising our processes and delivering justice more efficiently and equitably,” he said at the programme’s opening.
The programme benefits from the guidance of a high-powered Advisory Board composed of leaders from across the judiciary, academia, civil society, legal practice, and public service. Their role is to ensure the strategic alignment of the solutions with real-world institutional needs.
Abiola Jimoh, Co-CEO of Xchange Box, underscored the programme’s long-term vision. “This is not just a hackathon. It’s a coordinated national push to build a pipeline of scalable solutions that can be tested, adopted, and scaled by justice institutions,” he said.
Also speaking, Vivian Anozie, Assistant Chief, High Court Division—representing Hon. Justice Olayinka Faji, Administrative Judge, Federal High Court, Lagos Division—commended the event for providing practical avenues to improve court efficiency. “We’ve been working on the automation of our courts, including e-filing, and we’re excited to see the solutions this programme will develop,” she noted.
Mr Faruq Abass, Managing Partner at Abass & Co, highlighted the urgent need for digital tools that are scalable, intuitive, and problem-solving, particularly in areas such as judgement delivery delays and limited access to court records. “The justice sector needs tools that solve real problems and are easy for stakeholders to adopt,” Abass stated.
As Nigeria’s justice sector moves to embrace technology more aggressively, JusticeTechNG 2025 is positioning itself as a national incubator for digital legal transformation, encouraging innovation that aligns with institutional reform, access to justice, and citizen empowerment.
The final Demo Day, scheduled for mid-July, will offer investors and policymakers a firsthand look at the most promising solutions to modernise one of Nigeria’s most critical institutions.
