The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Nasarawa State has lauded the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) for its remarkable contributions toward enhancing the state’s judicial system through innovative technologies and strategic partnerships.
During a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Justice in Lafia, the Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Ms. Lucy James Abagi, led a delegation comprising senior management staff and representatives from its technology subsidiary, Devon Technologies. The visit was to congratulate the Attorney General on his recent appointment and to explore further areas of collaboration in justice sector reform.
“We are deeply honored to be here today, despite your very tight schedule,” Ms. Abagi said. “With me are key members of our team, including the CEO of Devon Technologies, which handles all our software and hardware systems supporting state institutions.”
She explained that PPDC, established over 22 years ago, initially focused on procurement governance but has, in recent years, expanded its portfolio to include access to justice.
“With funding from the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, we have successfully implemented access to justice programs across five states, including Nasarawa,” she stated.
According to Ms. Abagi, the ongoing intervention in Nasarawa State comprises two key components: court administration and case management, as well as the reform of pre-trial detention processes.
She revealed that PPDC has deployed a Case Management System and AI-powered speech-to-text technology across eight courts in the state, significantly enhancing the efficiency of court proceedings.
“Our technology now enables real-time transcription of court proceedings within four minutes, eliminating the delays associated with manual recording.
We are also collaborating with the Nigeria Correctional Service to facilitate virtual court hearings, especially for terrorism and high-risk cases,” she added.
She further disclosed that PPDC is working with universities and local organizations to provide paralegal services to inmates, thereby helping to reduce the number of individuals held in prolonged pre-trial detention.
Also speaking, the Assistant Program Manager of PPDC emphasized the importance of the state’s continued support.
He noted that since June 2022, the Ministry of Justice has played an active role in the project, with the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) representing the ministry on a quarterly Project Advisory Committee.
“We have deployed three case management systems within the Ministry, trained over 100 prosecutors, and reactivated the Police Duty Solicitor Scheme in 10 police divisions across the state to ensure timely legal intervention,” he said.
In his response, the Attorney General warmly received the delegation and apologized for the slight delay caused by his earlier participation in a high-level reception organized by ALGON in honor of the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Labaran Magaji, PhD.
“I sincerely appreciate your visit and commend your outstanding work in transforming court administration and improving access to justice in Nasarawa State,” he said.
“I’ve reviewed your track record and I’m truly impressed with your innovative use of AI, and your collaboration with the correctional and law enforcement institutions.”
He assured the PPDC team of the Ministry’s full commitment to sustaining and scaling the initiatives, expressing confidence that the partnership would further strengthen the justice system in the state.
