Onome Amuge
The world is witnessing a deepening retreat from the rule of law, as more governments slide towards authoritarian practices and institutional checks weaken, the World Justice Project (WJP) warned in its latest 2025 Rule of Law Index, released this week.
According to the Index, 68 per cent of countries recorded declines in their rule of law scores in 2025, a sharp deterioration from 57 percent the previous year, underscoring what the WJP describes as an accelerating global rule of law recession.
Yet, amid the widespread decline, Nigeria stood among the minority of countries to post an improvement, signalling incremental gains in civil and criminal justice performance despite persistent governance fragilities.
Nigeria’s slow climb amid global decline
Nigeria’s overall rule of law score rose by less than one per cent this year, pushing it to 120th out of 143 countries globally and 23rd out of 34 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country also ranks 23rd among 35 lower-middle-income economies, according to the index.
While the improvement may appear marginal, governance analysts see it as a sign of steady, if cautious, institutional resilience in a country where executive dominance and systemic corruption have long eroded public confidence in the justice system.
Nigeria performed relatively better in criminal justice (90th globally) and constraints on government powers (93rd), but continued to lag significantly in order and security, where it ranked 142nd out of 143 countries, just above Venezuela.
The World Justice Project, which compiles the annual index from over 215,000 household surveys and 4,100 expert assessments worldwide, said Nigeria’s slight progress reflects improved judicial procedures and limited gains in civil justice, even as broader challenges persist.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, the picture was broadly negative, with 25 of 34 countries in the region recording declines in rule of law performance. Notably, 14 of those countries have now experienced back-to-back declines since 2024.
Still, Africa provided some of the world’s top improvers, with four of the ten most improved countries globally hailing from the region.
Rwanda retained its position as the regional leader, ranking 39th globally, followed by Namibia and Mauritius, while Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan trailed at the bottom.
The WJP said the data indicate that African nations are both victims and potential reformers in the global rule of law crisis. “Africa continues to demonstrate reform potential, especially in countries where governance innovation and judicial reforms are taking root,” the report noted.
Global drift towards authoritarianism
The report identified the expansion of authoritarian trends as the key driver of the rule of law recession, citing deepening declines in the constraints on government powers, open government, and fundamental rights categories.
“The erosion of checks and balances has accelerated,” the WJP stated, pointing to rising political interference in judicial processes and the concentration of power within executive branches.
Globally, constraints on government powers declined in 61 per cent of countries, while the independence of civil and criminal justice systems deteriorated in 67 per cent and 62 per cent, respectively.
The WJP warned that this pattern of institutional weakening is now accompanied by a rapid shrinking of civic space, a defining feature of the ongoing democratic recession.
Across the board, the report found that:
- Freedom of opinion and expression declined in 73 percent of countries, including Nigeria.
- Freedom of assembly and association declined in 72 percent, including Nigeria.
- Civic participation declined in 71 percent, again including Nigeria.
“Freedoms essential for public discourse and government oversight are under threat globally,” the report cautioned.
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