Appraising Nigerian Law School at 50

The speeches at the ceremony chaired by former President Ibrahim Babangida, which focused on how to improve the standard of legal education in the country, were marched with action through the financial endowment by the alumni and philanthropists to enhance physical infrastructure in the various campuses.The goodwill has provided a new impetus for the hardworking […]

The speeches at the ceremony chaired by former President Ibrahim Babangida, which focused on how to improve the standard of legal education in the country, were marched with action through the financial endowment by the alumni and philanthropists to enhance physical infrastructure in the various campuses.
The goodwill has provided a new impetus for the hardworking team of the outgoing Director General of the school Dr Tahir Mamman, chairman of the Council of Legal Education, O.C.J. Okocha and the entire members of staff of the hallowed institution.
The Nigerian Law School was founded through the Legal Education Act of 1962 and began operation at No. 213A Igbosere Road Lagos with its first set of law graduates in 1963. The pioneer students, who graduated from the English Bar are: S.A. Ajuyah; J. S. Anyanwu; S.O. Chinke; I. A. Idamiebi; O.C. Obi; N.N. Onuoha; I.O. Sonoiki; and N.N. Wachukwu.   
 The institution was established to provide practical training for aspiring legal practitioners in Nigeria as well as bridge the deficiency in the training of Nigerians who obtained their qualifications in Law in foreign schools.
 From that humble beginning and noble concept, the school now has six campuses in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu, Yola and Yenagoa. The school has produced 85,060 lawyers so far, many straddling various spheres of human endeavour including politics, legal, public administration, businesses and other areas.
 For instance, some state governors like Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Lagos; Godswill Akpabio, Akwa Ibom; Liyel Imoke, Cross River State; and Shehu Shema, Katsina are lawyers. Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; the late Rotimi Williams(SAN), the late Gani Fawehinmi are few public figures whose careers were shaped as a result of the knowledge they garnered at the Nigerian Law School.
 Most of the members of the bench (Judges) in the country also passed through the Nigerian Law School while learning the trade which has now shot them to reckoning in the country and outside its shores.
President Goodluck Jonathan in his speech expressed worry over the lowered standards of legal education and incidents of ethical misconduct among lawyers. He expressed support for reforms in the curriculum of legal education in the country anchored by the Council of Legal Education.
Speaking on the topic: ‘Legal Education and National Development’, Jonathan, represented by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Mohammed Adoke (SAN), traced the falling standards of law graduates to the disruption of the academic calendar in the universities through incessant strikes.  
While appealing to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its current strike and partner the federal government in improving the standard of education in the country, he said the federal government has embarked on improving facilities such as roads, library and seminar halls in the six campuses of the Law School to enhance the training of lawyers.
In her speech, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, called for regular evaluation of legal education in Nigeria to enhance the overall quality of the country’s justice system.
Earlier in his welcome address, the outgoing Director General of the Nigeria Law School, Dr Mamman Tahir, decried the inability of the Law School to access intervention funds by donor agencies as one of the reasons for the poor infrastructure in the various campuses of the law school.
Mamman said the Law School has risen from just 8 graduates in 1963 to an average student population of 5,500 with a total of 85,060 lawyers produced so far in the country – half of which was during his tenure.
The high cost of fees at the Law School is another major challenge which Dr Mamman highlighted in his speech. At the sum of N300, 000, some stakeholders feel it is on the high side, especially for indigent students, who have the passion to practice law.
 In the anniversary lecture titled ‘Challenges of legal education in a globalised world’, Professor Oba Nsugbe QC, SAN called for an innovative curriculum to prepare graduates of the Law School for globalization.
He suggested Law practice simulation and inter-disciplinary field practices to expose lawyers to the global environment.
Three individuals were honoured for outstanding service to Nigeria. Gen TY  Danjuma, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar and Funsho Alakija, while Senator Onyeabo Obi was recognized among the pioneer students.
General Danjuma pledged an Information Technology block for the Law School. He later spoke on behalf of the awardees and expressed support for efforts in improving the standard of legal education in Nigeria because of the relevance of the law in the society.
“If any profession holds the key to transforming our country, it is the legal profession. The corruption, violence and insecurity threatening us means that the legal profession must come to our aid,” he said.
Other donors include Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue – Law Clinic: Isa Yuguda – 500 KVA generator: Shehu Shema – N100 million; Class of 77 and 86 pledged moot court complexes; Class 78 – roffing of dining hall; class 85 – two hiace buses; Class 88 – N150 million among others.
The Law School’s grand golden jubilee on Wednesday November 27 was preceded by celebration in respective campuses of the school which held between early and mid November.
At the 50th celebration of the school’s Lagos campus, three weeks ago, the league of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), including Governor Fashola, lawyers and friends of the school pooled resources to arrest the infrastructure deficiencies of the Lagos campus of the school.
Former Governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, promised to help complete the building of the 24 year old hostel of the school campus in Lagos.
Other campuses of the school are also challenged by infrastructure problems, which are begging to be fixed by well-meaning Nigerians.
The endowment is hoped to lift the standard of the Nigerian Law School, which many observers believe is a repository of legal knowledge which it has bequeathed to students who passed through the institution.
Head of Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School, Mrs Toun Adebiyi, said the celebration of the silver jubilee of the institution underlies the school’s successful years in imparting knowledge on lawyers in the country.
In their contributions, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Layi Adewale described the Law School as one of the few institutions, which has shaped and sharpened the development of the country through knowledge, and sustained an age long tradition of standard and excellence even by those who pursue other fields of endeavour after the training.
Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, who doubles as the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of celebration of the Nigerian Law School at 50, explained that the anniversary was necessary in order to appraise the contributions of the Council on Legal Education and the Nigerian Law School to Nigeria’s legal system.
As Dr Mamman hands over to the new DG Nigerian Law School Olanrewaju Olalekan, stakeholders can only wish for a more invigorated institution and graduates.