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Who We Are
We are building a resilient movement of African lawyers — connected by courage, trained for justice and committed to transforming lives through law.
Justice Bridge Foundation (JBF) is a pan-African, decolonial organisation based in Nigeria and the first of its kind in West and Central Africa to advance the decriminalisation of key populations by building a network of lawyers who assert contested rights through a distinctly pan-Africanist and anti-colonial lens. We aim to be a calm voice of legal reason on the issues within our focus; also to connect and equip lawyers across the region to challenge unjust laws and reclaim justice through strategic litigation and legal empowerment grounded in African values.
Our Why at JBF
At Justice Bridge Foundation, our work begins with a simple reality. In West and Central Africa, entire communities live outside the protection of the law. Key populations are criminalised, silenced, and routinely denied justice, not because their claims lack merit, but because the legal system was never built to serve them. We exist because this exclusion is not accidental. It is structural, inherited, and sustained by fear, stigma, and the absence of lawyers willing to stand with those whose rights are most contested.
Our purpose is to change who the law works for, and how it is used. We believe that justice becomes real only when lawyers are accountable to communities, not power. That is why we invest in movement lawyering, strategic litigation, and regional solidarity rooted in a decolonial understanding of law. We build bridges between communities and courts, between lived experience and legal strategy, and between individual cases and systemic change. Our why is grounded in the conviction that criminalisation can be dismantled, rights can be reclaimed, and justice can be reshaped from the ground up when lawyers choose courage, ethics, and collective struggle.
Our Mission
Justice Bridge Foundation works to dismantle criminalisation and advance contested rights in West and Central Africa through strategic litigation, movement lawyering, and the sustained development of a connected regional network of lawyers and legal institutions.
Our Vision
Justice Bridge Foundation envisions a West and Central African region in which criminal law is no longer used as a tool of exclusion, punishment, or moral control, and where all people, regardless of identity or status, are able to live with dignity, safety, and equal protection under the law.
Our Priority Areas
Lawyer Training and Capacity Building
We equip lawyers and legal advocates across West and Central Africa with the tools, strategies, and confidence to litigate for justice. Through immersive learning experiences, long-term mentoring, and hands-on case support, we’re building a robust, value-driven community of lawyers shaping the future of human rights law.
Strategic Litigation on Discrimination Cases
We challenge injustice through strategic litigation, taking on cases that expose systemic discrimination and push for progressive change. By working closely with communities and legal actors, we amplify the voices of the marginalized and advance rights-based solutions that resonate beyond the courtroom.
Jurisprudence Development and Legal Advocacy
We contribute to the growing body of African human rights jurisprudence by developing legal arguments, supporting test cases, and providing technical expertise at domestic, regional, and international levels. Our legal advocacy aims to reshape narratives and influence judicial decisions that uphold equality, dignity, and non-discrimination.
Regional Movement Building and Collaboration
We strengthen coalitions across borders – connecting lawyers, grassroots actors, and civil society groups to share knowledge, build solidarity, and drive coordinated action. Together, we work toward a future where collective legal strategies lead to transformative change across the region.
