Professor Yemi Akinseye-George
Dear Aare Afe Babalola,I found your article on the above subject to be highly informative, characteristically articulate, and thoughtfully presented. Your insights into the current structure of legal education in Nigeria are both timely and compelling. I fully concur with your suggestion that the Council of Legal Education (CLE) should consider devolving the responsibility of practical legal training to accredited private tuition providers and training centres. This would allow the CLE to concentrate on regulating these service providers and ensuring the maintenance of high professional standards.
However, one issue I believe warrants further consideration is whether Nigeria should adopt a formal dichotomy of the legal profession into Barristers and Solicitors. Your article, while comprehensive, did not touch on this significant aspect. I would be most grateful if you could share your perspective on this matter, drawing from your vast knowledge and experience. In addition, your thoughts on the subject of compulsory pupilage—whether it should be institutionalised or not—would also be deeply appreciated. Once again, thank you for shedding light on the challenges confronting the Nigerian Law School and for offering such constructive and forward-thinking recommendations. Your intellectual leadership continues to be a valuable asset, not only to the legal profession but to society at large.
With kind regards and highest esteem,
Prof Yemi Akinseye-George,SAN, FCARB, FNIALS,
RESPONSE
Thank you, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, for your gracious and incisive response. Your endorsement of the call for the Council of Legal Education to devolve practical training to accredited private providers is both affirming and deeply appreciated. You have astutely advanced the conversation by raising two fundamental issues: the potential adoption of a formal distinction between Barristers and Solicitors in Nigeria, and the institutionalisation of compulsory pupilage. These are critical considerations that speak to the evolving nature of legal practice and the need for a more structured and efficient system of legal education and professional development. Your reflections reinforce the urgency for the CLE to not only rethink the delivery of legal training but also to explore wider structural reforms that align our legal education with global best practices while preserving the core values of competence, ethics, and professionalism.
Ochuague Adams ESq
You omitted Kano Campus when you were counting the law school campuses. Secondly, they can cut down the intake in the universities to be able to accommodate the law graduates or make the qualifying exams to study law in the universities as second degree. Nigeria is not ripe to replicate the UK style of private examination centre. Our orientation on religious and ethnic bias will frustrate such plans.
RESPONSE
Thank you, Ochuagu Adams Esq, for your valuable observations and constructive feedback. Your reminder about the Kano Campus is noted, and your suggestions on regulating university intake and considering law as a second-degree course present thoughtful and realistic strategies for easing the current congestion in legal education. Your caution regarding the replication of the UK-style private examination centres, given Nigeria’s religious and ethnic complexities, is an important and necessary perspective. However, as noted in my initial position, it remains worthwhile to critically understudy the UK model and other global best practices—not necessarily for wholesale adoption, but to glean adaptable elements that could inform reforms tailored to our unique socio-cultural environment. Your insights underscore the urgent need for the Council of Legal Education to pursue context-sensitive reforms that balance innovation with equity, merit, and national cohesion in shaping the future of legal training in Nigeria.
Ayuba Lasisi
Subject: “ABUJA LAW SCHOOL FOR ALL UNIVERSITIES LAW GRADUATES INAPPROPRATE”. This is the best caption that suits the Nigerian Law School has not bold enough to cry for help and seek for solution. May Almighty God continue to bless our fathers of the profession for the confidence to hit the nail on the head. Thank you, Sir. Having proffer solutions that can assist the Nigerian Law School her authority as the only Institution for the baking of Lawyers, I am of the opinion that it may take some more year for the suggestion proffered in this presentation, considering Nigerian approach to issues i.e. foot dragging. For immediate solution before the explosion of the backlog of potential Law School Students, is it not possible to take advantage of the following suggestions. There are good Federal, States and Privates Universities who can complement Nigerian Law School in the training of backlog Students. What is required by the Nigerian Law School is a strict guideline to the selected Universities.
RESPONSE
Thank you, Ayuba Lasisi, for your thoughtful and timely reflections on the challenges facing the Nigerian Law School. Your acknowledgment of the issue as a “cry for help” aptly captures the urgency of the situation. I appreciate your pragmatic suggestions, particularly the idea of involving reputable federal, state, and private universities in complementing the Nigerian Law School’s capacity to handle the growing backlog of law graduates. Your proposal of establishing strict guidelines for these universities is a practical, immediate solution that could alleviate some of the pressure on the Law School while maintaining high standards of legal training. However, as you rightly noted, meaningful reform will require a shift in Nigeria’s often slow approach to change. This underlines the importance of pushing for reforms that not only address current issues but also prepare the system for future growth, ensuring accessibility and quality in legal education.
CHINEDU MBAEGBU JP
Dear Sir, I highly appreciate your honour for the insight, education and real exposure of the challenges and problems of the NLS. In fact, you are God sent. Please you know very well that one of the unfortunate problems we have in Nigeria is that we allow BAD AND CRUCIAL ISSUES to live with us. Nothing absolutely nothing in our country works the way they should compared to other countries.
The problems of NLS has really lingered and the authorities concerned pretend blind eyes and deaf ears. This is very sad indeed. Our children who has graduated on the law profession in universities has to wait so long before they secure admission into the NLS. This is sad indeed because it reduces their flow and increases their poor performance in NLS due to the long wait time.
One ‘tiny’ problem is passing JAMB, etc to study Law in our universities but the biggest nightmare is whether the parent or guardian has the financial muscles and long-legs to secure the child’s admission into NLS. This is really unfortunate and is eating deep into the fabric of Legal industry in Nigeria.How I wish the suggestions and recommendations in your exposition could be implemented to their logic conclusion.
The NLS, Law Students, Parents and the Law Profession would breathe fresh air.
MBAEGBU CHINEDU jp
RESPONSE
Thank you, Chinedu Mbaegbu JP, for your heartfelt and insightful response. Your deep concern for the prolonged challenges facing the Nigerian Law School is evident, and I sincerely appreciate your candid reflections. You’ve aptly highlighted the persistent issues—especially the long waiting times for law graduates to gain admission into the Law School, which negatively affects their performance and, ultimately, the quality of legal practitioners. Furthermore, the financial and social barriers that hinder access to legal education only compound the problem. Your comments underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reform in the Council of Legal Education to ensure that law students are not only admitted in a timely manner but also supported in a way that ensures equal access, fair opportunities, and professional growth. Implementing the suggestions and recommendations presented would undoubtedly breathe new life into the system, benefiting students, the legal profession, and society. In addition, the consideration and adoption of the practical-oriented UK Style is equally imperative.
Oliver Okere
Good day sir, we thank God for keeping Elders like you to help model and remodel our institutions to keep up the standard especially in the legal profession.
The era has come for changes in our legal education to meet world standard.
This era of technology, efforts should be geared to investigate modern ways of impacting knowledge than continuing using our old models like stocking everyone in a small classroom without light etc.
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The world is technologically driven esp. considering the population of Nigeria, the economy where families find it difficult to feed. Any effort towards legal education should include use modern technology to impact not only in a clustered 4 walls. Thank you, sir, for your erudite opinion. I believe it reduce the burden on NLS lecturers and remove the backlog in the system. Thank you.
RESPONSE
Thank you, Oliver Okere, for your thoughtful and forward-looking response. Your appreciation for the role of elders in shaping the future of our institutions, especially in the legal profession, is well received. You have rightly pointed out that the time has come for our legal education system to embrace modern, technology-driven approaches to match global standards. The outdated practices—such as overcrowded classrooms without proper facilities—are no longer viable in an era dominated by technological advancements. As you’ve highlighted, integrating technology into legal education would not only alleviate the strain on the Nigerian Law School lecturers but also address the growing backlog and provide students with a more effective and accessible learning environment. Your insights underscore the pressing need for reform in the Council of Legal Education, ensuring that Nigeria’s legal training system evolves to meet the challenges of the modern world.
Alaine Akpa
Subject: A law student’s perspective on decentralizing legal education in Nigeria
I support Afe Babalola’s proposal to adopt a decentralized model for legal education in Nigeria. As a law student of Ahamedu Bello University. I Alaine Akpa Ojoajedo, believe by adopting a decentralized model for legal education in Nigeria more Nigerian law students will have access to the Nigerian Law School. By embracing private study centers, external examiners, and a more active role for the Nigerian Bar Association, I strongly believe we can create a more inclusive, efficient, and effective pathway to the legal profession. This approach has the ability to not only address the current backlog but also elate the standards of legal education in Nigeria.
RESPONSE
Thank you, Alaine Akpa, for your insightful and well-considered support of the decentralized model for legal education in Nigeria. As a law student, your perspective is invaluable in highlighting the practical benefits of such a reform, particularly in terms of increasing access to the Nigerian Law School for more students. You’ve rightly pointed out that incorporating private study centers, external examiners, and a more proactive role for the Nigerian Bar Association could not only help alleviate the current backlog but also raise the standards of legal education across the country. Your ideas reinforce the need for a comprehensive reform at the Council of Legal Education, aiming to create a more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable system that prepares students better for the legal profession while addressing the growing demand for legal training.
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