Value practical experience, Odili urges law students at NDDC moot

A retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, has urged law students in the Niger Delta to value every practical experience and learning opportunity, saying such exposure will shape their professional careers.

Odili spoke on Monday, as the special guest of honour at the 2026 Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) annual moot and mock trial competition for faculties of law in the region at the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

She charged the participating students to give their best regardless of the outcome, stressing that the practical skills acquired from the competition will remain valuable throughout their careers.

“I enjoin each and every one of you participating to give it all, and whether you win or not, there is a lot you would have gained,” Odili said, noting that not everything in law could be learnt in the classroom.

Recalling her undergraduate days in the chambers of Chief Philip Nnaemeka-Agu, the retired jurist said her early exposure to drafting quit notices and attending court sessions provided lessons that remained useful throughout her career.

She urged the students to treasure every practical experience, citing the need for precision in drafting legal notices and the serious consequences that could arise from errors in determining statutory periods.

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A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, said moot court training equips students with advocacy skills that are valuable in both litigation and solicitor practice.

Akpata said the ability to construct compelling arguments and present them with clarity and conviction was a skill that will serve lawyers throughout their professional careers.

Representing the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Director of Finance and Administration, Mr Boma Iyaye, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to youth development and legal education, saying the region’s legal curriculum must continue to adapt to global trends.

Chairman of the NDDC governing board, Mr Chiedu Ebie, said the competition was revived to build confidence and sharpen advocacy skills among future lawyers.

He noted that the 2026 edition marked the third consecutive annual competition since the current board assumed office, with judges, senior advocates, legal practitioners, lecturers and student advocates from universities in the Niger Delta taking part.