NBA PRESIDENT DEMANDS SWEEPING REFORMS AT LEGAL EDUCATION SUMMIT

“NIGERIA’S LEGAL EDUCATION SYSTEM MUST EVOLVE OR RISK IRRELEVANCE”

At the 2026 NBA Legal Education Summit, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Afam Osigwe, SAN, called for urgent and far-reaching reforms in Nigeria’s legal education system, warning that the profession risks producing lawyers unprepared for modern realities if decisive reforms are not implemented.

Speaking on the theme, “Accelerating Legal Education Reform in Nigeria: Progress, Problems & Prospects,” the NBA President emphasized the need for a more practical, technology-driven, and competency-based legal education system capable of equipping lawyers for the realities of 21st-century practice.

He advocated stronger mentorship, expansion of legal clinics and moot courts, reduced reliance on rote learning, and greater integration of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship into legal training.

The NBA President also questioned whether the current duration for obtaining an LL.B degree remains necessary, stressing that practical skills and professional competence should take priority.

The Summit brought together legal academics, regulators, members of the Bench and Bar, law students, and stakeholders committed to shaping the future of legal education in Nigeria.