History was made in Katsina State at the weekend as the Judicial Service Commission announced the appointment of Mrs. Basira Umar as the first female Chief Registrar of the State High Court of Justice since its creation in 1987.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by the court’s Director of Protocols, Musa Usman, who disclosed that Umar’s appointment followed the retirement of her predecessor, Mustapha Hassan-Rumah.
Usman explained that the Chief Registrar is the judiciary’s chief accounting officer, entrusted with overseeing its financial operations, including budget preparation and expenditure control, as well as managing the day-to-day administration of the judicial arm of government.
Before her elevation, Umar had served as the Deputy Chief Registrar and Director at the Multi-Door Court House, where she was credited with strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the state.
Her appointment, stakeholders say, represents not only a professional milestone but also a symbolic victory for gender inclusion in a system long dominated by men.
Legal practitioners and rights advocates have already begun hailing the development, describing it as a progressive step for the Katsina judiciary and a signal that more doors are opening for women in leadership positions across the justice sector.
