ADVANCING MULTILINGUAL LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING FOR EFFECTIVE AND INCLUSIVE LEGAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA: A POLICY IMPERATIVE

Abstract

Nigeria’s vast linguistic diversity presents both an opportunity and a challenge for its legal and governance systems. Despite being home to over 500 indigenous languages, English remains the language of legislative drafting and legal communication, creating a significant barrier to public understanding, participation, and compliance. This paper examines the prospects, challenges, and policy imperatives of adopting multilingual legislative drafting as a mechanism for enhancing effective and inclusive legal service delivery in Nigeria. It argues that the continued reliance on monolingual drafting not only limits access to justice but also undermines democratic legitimacy and civic engagement. Drawing on comparative insights from multilingual jurisdictions such as Canada, South Africa, India, and Switzerland, the paper highlights the potential of multilingualism to improve legal accessibility, promote cultural inclusion, and strengthen institutional accountability. It further identifies critical challenges including constitutional and institutional constraints, linguistic complexity, financial implications, and the scarcity of trained multilingual drafters. The study employs a legal and comparative analytical approach, anchored in the theories of legal pluralism, comparative law, and access to justice. The paper recommends, constitutional amendment, institutional capacity-building, and the use of technology to manage translation and harmonization.