*As Bar Unveils New Standards And Rules
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Summer-IDRI-Masterclass.jpg")
Chairman of the Legal Education Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA-LEC), Professor Damilola Sunday Olawuyi, SAN has called on the NBA, Nigerian Law School, Ministry of Justice, universities and all other stakeholders in the justice and education sectors to double their commitments to functional legal education reforms required to develop practice-ready lawyers who can contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is also Deputy Vice Chancellor at Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) made this call while delivering his opening address at the 2026 NBA Legal Education Summit held at NBA National Headquaters, Abuja. Themed “Accelerating Legal Education Reform in Nigeria: Progress, Problems, and Prospects”, the Summit had in attendance more than 600 participants (both in person and online), including the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Prince Lateef O. Fagbemi (SAN), President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), OFR, Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab O. Egbewole (SAN), Vice Chancellor, Imo State University, Prof. Uchefula Ugonna Chukwumaeze (SAN), Chairman of the Nigeria Law Reform Commission, Prof. Dakas C.J. Dakas (SAN), Dean, Faculty of Law, Imo State University, Professor Kingsley Okorie, (SAN), Partner, Africa Law Practice NG, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), Partner & Head, Abuja Office, Babalakin & Co, Boonyameen Babajide Lawal (SAN), Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, Managing Partner, Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore (SOOB Law), as well as Deans of Law Faculties, representatives of the National Universities Commission, the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers, the NBA Lawyers in Academia Forum, Network of University Legal Aid Institutions (NULAI), judges, lawyers, academics, students, as well as other stakeholders.
In his welcome address, Professor Olawuyi noted that “In today’s increasingly globalized marketplace where a lawyer in Nigeria can be advising clients from Australia, Saudi Arabia, or England, thinking like a lawyer now includes blending knowledge of the law with project management, data analytics and artificial intelligence, technology innovation, and sharp entrepreneurial skills.” He however observed that due to a wide range of factors, including perennial underfunding of our universities, poor infrastructure, lack of modern technology, and poor working conditions of lecturers, many of our universities struggle to keep pace with these rapid transformations.
While emphasising the urgent importance of legal education reform, Professor Olawuyi noted “Given the critical importance of our profession to the sustainable and socio-economic development of the nation, repositioning and financing legal education to meet the needs of today, and the realities of tomorrow has become a national priority.”
Commending the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN for his exceptional efforts in placing legal education reform squarely at the heart of his adminstration’s agenda, the Professor Olawuyi called for more, stating that “Beyond today, it is also our hope that repositioning legal education will remain top on the agenda of the NBA. We specifically call on the NBA to ensure that this Summit is not a one-off event. The Legal Edication Committee should also be represented on the NBA National Executive Council, Body of Benchers and other regulatory bodies so that we can continue to mainstream today’s discourse permanently in the governance of the legal profession,” he concluded.
A highpoint of the Summit was the offical unveiling of The NBA Standards and Rules on Legal Education a culmination of two years of stakeholder consultations intended to serve as a reform roadmap and quality benchmark against which Nigerian legal education system can be measured and held accountable, in line with international best practices and contemporary needs. Also presented and lauched at the Summit was a Journal Special Issue on Legal Education and Sustainable Development, a compilation of seventeen peer-reviewed scholarly articles by academics from Nigeria and beyond and published by the SCOPUS-indexed Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti.
The Summit’s proceedings and the launch of the The NBA Standards and Rules on Legal Education and the Journal Special Issue represent the most significant institutional effort in recent years to address the systemic challenges facing legal education in Nigeria. Participants left with a sense of renewed optimism and hope that the reform proposals presented at the Summit will spur long-term structured reform and sustained financing for legal training in Nigeria, thereby chart the course for a desirable future built on pedagogical innovation and entrepreneurial transformation.
As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion: A Research Guide.”
Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating:
"....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic."
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
______________________________________________________________________
“Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209.
_______________________________________________________________________
“Order Your Copy Now” — Basil Momodu, Esq. Unveils Second Edition Of His Book, "Civil Procedure In Nigeria"
According to the learned author, Basil Momodu Esq. "Law review is a continuum. We will continue to track changes in the law to enrich future editions." Recommended Booksellers: Lagos: 08033855230, Abuja: 08035991379, and others.
