Abuja Law School for all university law graduates inappropriate: Comments by readers and my response

 

 

THE above topic has sparked a lot of reactions from the public. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has read and contributed to the ongoing conversation regarding the future of legal education in Nigeria. Your engagement has been incredibly insightful, and we deeply appreciate the time, thought, and passion each of you has dedicated to sharing your perspectives. The variety of ideas and constructive criticism offered demonstrates the collective commitment to improving the state of legal education and the legal profession in Nigeria. Your voices are crucial to understanding the challenges and opportunities within the system, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Please be assured that all your contributions are invaluable and have not gone unnoticed. In response to the rich dialogue sparked by this discussion, I have compiled and addressed the various perspectives in this second edition. I believe that these responses will further illuminate the way forward, building on the suggestions and concerns raised. Together, we can continue pushing for meaningful reforms that will create a more accessible, efficient, and impactful legal education system in Nigeria. Thank you once again for your continued participation and commitment to this important cause. Below are the reactions and my responses.

 

1. Enovwo Edesiri

Barristers, And Solicitors Qualifying Exams 

I would like to add here that law training had evolved greatly in the UK where Nigeria copied her system of legal education and Nigeria is still crawling with the old archaic method of cramming adult students into one stuffy room and drilling down lectures from morning till night in the name of practical training at the Nigeria Law Schools.  It is more than enough to ask the NLS/CLE to play the roles of standard setting and external regulators while universities faculties and other private bodies ready to prepare law graduates for any Bar, and Solicitors qualifying Exams to be set up like it is presently done in the UK. 

Lawyers training had shifted from the government to private bodies. We have Barbri, QLTS, Kaplan SQE, Legal, ICCA COLP, BPP and a host of other private institutions that undertake qualifying legal training in the UK. Nigeria should adopt same.  The present Law schools should be phased out and law graduates be trained for their qualifying exams by private bodies as it’s being done in the UK. This will not only save the nation huge amount of money(2 spent to run NLS/CLE but also create jobs for more institutions and make qualifying for law practice easier like in the UK. 

RESPONSE

Thank you, Enovwo Edesiri for your thoughtful and timely contribution. It aligns perfectly with my initial position on the need to reform Nigeria’s legal education system. As you rightly pointed out, the Nigerian Law School and the Council of Legal Education should focus on regulation and standard-setting, while universities and accredited private bodies take up the task of preparing law graduates for qualifying exams—just as it’s successfully done in the UK. This shift would not only ease the financial burden on the government but also improve the quality of training and broaden access to legal practice

 

2. Princewill Oge

Dear Learned Silk,

I trust this finds you well. My name is Princewill Ogege, Editor at Deals and Advisory Report and bar aspirant. I just read your erudite submission on the Punch on the future of the Nigerian Law School and how the system can be better.  Although I had a more extreme view that the whole law school be put on hold and incorporated into University education, I concede that the opinion shared in your article in a better view. I want to bring to your attention that, in listing the current number of law school campuses, you seem to have omitted Kano Campus. “There are currently six campuses of the NLS. The intake capacities of these campuses are contained hereunder”

Notwithstanding this omission, I totally agree with you. In the next few days, I will  be proceeding to the Nigerian law school. Unfortunately almost 100 of my colleagues won’t be joining us because of inadequate quota. Private universities like ABUAD are saving the face of tertiary education in Nigeria, especially as education in government owned facilities seem to be declining. The metrics backs this. The postulation that private universities graduates are not up to par has been unalived (for want of a better word). 

I do hope that the Council of Legal Education adapts to this progressive ideas for a better and quality Nigerian Bar.

Best Regards,

Princewill Oge

 

RESPONSE

Thank you so much, Princewill, for your thoughtful and deeply engaging response. I sincerely appreciate your kind words and keen observations—particularly the correction regarding the omission of the Kano Campus, which is duly noted. Your reflections underscore a critical need for reform at the Council of Legal Education, especially in aligning law school admissions with the growing output of qualified graduates from universities, including exemplary private institutions like ABUAD. As you’ve rightly noted, the exclusion of nearly 100 qualified candidates due to quota limitations is not only disheartening but indicative of a structural imbalance. It is high time the Council embraced more progressive, scalable models to ensure inclusivity, quality, and access—hallmarks of a truly robust legal education system. I wish you the very best as you proceed to Law School and look forward to your voice continuing to shape the future of the Bar.

 

3. Dr. Embee Badr

It is a beautiful report and observation. However, Nigerian Law School Kano campus was inadvertently omitted and the school has admission capacity of 450 students per year.  In my opinion law school as it is presently constituted has overstayed its usefulness. It is becoming more expensive and inaccessible. Some of the courses taught at the law school can be added to the university program if need be.  Sadly, the internship and externship programs are not strictly supervised to ensure that the aspirants to the bar meet the requisite preparations on professional ethics.  Today, many bar aspirants lack the legal ethics and often trample upon the ethics of the profession. 

Dr. Embee Badr

 

RESPONSE

Thank you, Dr. Embee Badr, for your insightful contribution and for highlighting the inadvertent omission of the Kano Campus and its capacity—an important correction that enriches the ongoing conversation. Your observations add weight to the growing call for reform at the Council of Legal Education, particularly regarding the structure, accessibility, and relevance of the Nigerian Law School. The rising cost, limited admission slots, and the underwhelming supervision of key components like the externship program raise serious concerns about the current system’s ability to produce ethically grounded and professionally prepared lawyers.

Your suggestion to integrate certain aspects of the law school curriculum into the university program is timely and worthy of serious consideration in the journey toward a more inclusive, effective, and ethically sound legal education framework. This is in tandem with my submission in my write up.

 

4. Afokoghene Kaiser

 

It is not a problem at all from my end that the learned silk made a very nice suggested, in other to tackle our looming challenges in the future of our legal education.

But the issue I have here is that the learned silk forgot to take into consideration, that the corruption nature and the current situation of Nigeria will not only allow for men to infiltrate our legal education , but jeopardize the aim at which the Council of legal education was founded on . Allowing private sectors to take charge of our legal education will put us in a forever regrettable situation which we might not come out from . This is because it will be so prone to political and influential abuse that it will so much drag our already decaying legal system into the drain.

Read Also: KWASU listed on African digital research repositories

RESPONSE

Thank you, Afokoghene Kaiser, for your thoughtful and cautionary response. You raise a critical point about the realities of corruption and systemic vulnerabilities in Nigeria, which must be considered in any proposed reform of our legal education. Your concerns about the potential for political and influential abuse, especially if private interests gain unchecked control, are both valid and deeply reflective of the broader fears surrounding institutional integrity. However, rather than a wholesale rejection of private sector involvement, your perspective reinforces the urgent need for the Council of Legal Education to adopt reforms that are both progressive and safeguarded by transparency, accountability, and strict regulatory oversight. In doing so, we can strike a balance between innovation and protection, ensuring that the future of legal education in Nigeria remains both credible and sustainable.

 

5. Favour Daniel

I support this well written article which indeed captures the struggle and reality of every law graduate in Nigeria aspiring to be at the law school whereas faced with unprecedented delays and which in some sadder cases could be the end of some students dreams to be a lawyer. Its high time the government embrace a much better approach to resolve these backlogs issues. 

 

 

RESPONSE

Thank you, Favour Daniel, for your heartfelt and supportive response. Your words aptly capture the frustration and emotional toll many law graduates endure due to the backlog and limited admission capacity at the Nigerian Law School. The reality that these delays can derail the dreams of aspiring lawyers is a sobering reflection of a system in urgent need of reform. Your call for the government to adopt a better, more efficient approach speaks directly to the need for the Council of Legal Education to expand capacity, streamline admissions, and implement structural reforms that prioritize access, timeliness, and fairness. It’s only through such intentional changes that we can safeguard the aspirations of future legal professionals and uphold the integrity of the profession.

 

AARE AFE BABALOLA, OFR,  CON, SAN, LL.D (Lond.)