A group of lawyers under the aegis of the Radical Agenda Movement in the Nigerian Bar Association (RAMINBA) has demanded removal or downward review of the N500,000 e-filing fee in the new Supreme Court Practice Directions, 2026.

In a press statement made available to CITY LAWYER, RAMINBA called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, “in the interest of justice and good conscience, to immediately remove the provision of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) E-Filing Fee from the New Supreme Court Practice Directions.”

The lawyers warned that unless the removal or downward review is done “immediately,” the fee would shut out the poor and less privileged from Nigerian courts.

RAMINBA wrote: “We strongly maintain that the new filing fee will constitute an obstruction to access to justice by the less privileged and basically shut the last hope of the common man.”

Below is the full text of the press statement.

PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BY THE RADICAL AGENDA MOVEMENT IN THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION (RAMINBA) ON WEDNESDAY, THE 8TH DAY OF JULY 2026 AT RAILWAY LABOUR HOUSE, 33, EKOLOLU STREET, SURULERE, LAGOS STATE!

WE STRONGLY CONDEMN THE EXORBITANCY OF THE N500,000.00 E-FILLING FEE IN THE NEW SUPREME COURT PRACTICE DIRECTIONS, 2026, AND HEREBY DEMAND A REDUCTION OR THE REMOVAL OF SAME!

We welcome all members of the media to this esteemed World Press Conference.

We use this medium to call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Kudirat M. Kekere-Ekun, in the interest of justice and good conscience, to immediately remove the provision of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) E-Filing Fee from the New Supreme Court Practice Directions, 2026.

We strongly state that this sum is exorbitant and unaffordable for the average Nigerian in the current situation, where the minimum wage is N70,000.00. There is no doubt that if a swift and reasonable reduction or total removal is not made to the exorbitant, unreasonable, unexplainable, and unjustifiable filing fee – it means that accessing the justice system will be completely out of the reach of the common man and it will only be available and accessible to the rich and well-to-do.

We strongly maintain that the new filing fee will constitute an obstruction to access to justice by the less privileged and basically shut the last hope of the common man.

We state further that the judiciary is not designed to be accessed only by the most privileged, but by all who seek and deserve justice irrespective of their financial status. Inasmuch as we applaud the good intentions behind the innovation, we do not subscribe to it being used to deny the common man access to justice.

We demand and urge Your Lordship, the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, to honourably give our demand the desired attention and to bring the filing fee down to a reasonable amount that will be affordable for the rich and the poor, or remove it completely.

We look forward to a pocket-friendly judiciary that could be accessed by all.

Signed:

AYO ADEMILUYI, ESQ.
RAMINBAR Chairperson

ABIODUN KOLAWOLE, ESQ.
RAMINBA Secretary.

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