EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE REGULATION OF LEGAL AID IN NIGERIA

Abstract The provision of legal aid is crucial to ensure access to justice. it is therefore crucial that institutions responsible for providing legal aid services are effective. In Nigeria, the institutional framework for the provision of legal aid in Nigeria include governmental agencies like the Legal Aid Council as well as private organisations. Consequently, it becomes essential to analyse the role of these institutions in ensuring access to justice and their effectiveness. This thus forms the basis of this article titled. ‘Effectiveness of the Institutional Framework for the Regulation of Legal aid in Nigeria.’ This article adopts the doctrinal methodology with the use of primary and secondary sources as found in books, journal articles, newspapers and online sources. It discusses the initiatives, activities and outreaches carried out by the Legal Aid Council and explores various challenges that impede the effectiveness of the operations of the Legal Aid Council in Nigeria. The article discovers that challenges like inadequate funding, geographical inaccessibility and systemic inefficiencies impede the effectiveness of institutions providing legal aid. The article concludes that institutions providing legal aid are functional and effective however there is great for improvement by addressing the challenges faced by the council. The article therefore provides some recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the Legal Aid Council in Nigeria.