A Professor of Law at the Redeemers University and former Deputy Director of Academics, Nigerian Law School, Kano campus, Prof. Omoniyi Akinola, during an Interview with PUNCH on Wednesday, said funding and inadequate facilities are the major problems of legal education in Nigeria.
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“Funding is one of the problems of legal education in Nigeria. Funding is grossly inadequate considering the number of people that want to study law now.
“Facilities across our universities are grossly inadequate for the training of 21st century lawyers. How many of our moot courts are properly funded? How many of our libraries are properly funded with e-materials?” Akinola asked
He added, “You put a thousand students in the Law School and teach all of them at a stretch. The teacher-student ratio is also a problem, which boils down to funding. What’s the teacher-student ratio in the Nigerian Law School? Ten lecturers to 1,000 students, so that is a ratio of 1:100. Can it be effective? No!”
According to Akinola, the covid-19 pandemic also had negative impact on the legal education in Nigeria. Students of the Nigerian Law School did not do Chambers and court attachments. He also said students were not taught virtual learning and mooting.
He said, “This COVID-19 year, those who are going to be called to the bar, they did not go on any court attachment. They did not go on court and chamber attachment in the Law School; they just wrote exams and they will be called to bar. So, which type of skill did they acquire?
“We can say the pandemic is also a challenge and these online facilities, to what extent are we using them? Are we already teaching them about virtual learning, virtual mooting, virtual court practice? We are not! Even when we say we are doing it, are they effective? No! They are not effective”.
Akinola also blamed students for their attitude towards learning. According to him, some were forced to study law thereby taking up slots for serious students willing to study law. At the end of the day, they drop their certificates and join other businesses
He said, “Student attitude is a problem. What is the percentage of students who are really ready to study Law? Some of them their parents forced them to study Law and they took up the slots of those who were really willing to study Law.
“When they finish their programme, they go back to their parents and say ‘Daddy, this is your certificate,’ and go back to marketing, cybersecurity, online businesses, etc. So, there is an attitudinal problem”.
On his part, the Head of Department of Public Law, Rivers State University, Aduche Wokocha, who is also an Associate Professor said People have the right to choose an area in which they want to pursue a career. Responsibility of teachers should be ensuring that they arrive in the profession ready and properly prepared to discharge the duties of members of the profession.
“I am sure that in time as they come in, people will decide whether they want to continue with the career or pursue new careers, notwithstanding their degrees.” he said
The don advocated for integrity of students from university level even before going to the Nigerian Law School. He said something must be done about it
He said, “There is also the issue of integrity in the profession. I think we have a responsibility at the university level, where they (students) are prepared, to deal with that before they get to the law school level.
“The issue of malpractice has eventually crept into the Law School. It was rare, but we’ve had times where there were talks in the media about Law School examination and malpractice.
“We must do something about getting back the right degree of discipline in the profession and it should begin with the training and preparation of the students”.
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