Courts of Nigeria
A federal common-law system, with federal and state courts under one Supreme Court, and customary and Sharia courts of appeal in the states that have them.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Supreme Court of Nigeria
General courts
Court of Appeal
Federal High Court and State High Courts
Magistrates' and district courts
Customary and Sharia courts
Customary Courts of Appeal and Sharia Courts of AppealIn the states that have them
Customary and Area courts
Worth knowing
- Customary and Islamic law apply alongside English-style common law, in different courts.
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Read the Nigeria profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Sources
Other systems
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s court-structure diagrams are simplified on purpose and are not legal advice. Report a mistake.

