By RASHIDAT KABIRU

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has called for urgent and coordinated reforms in Nigeria’s legal education system to ensure it produces competent, innovative and globally competitive lawyers.

Fagbemi made the call on Monday in Abuja at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2026 Legal Education Summit themed “Advancing Legal Education Reform in Nigeria: Progress, Problems, and Prospects.”

The Minister, who was represented by Mrs Gladys Odegbaro, Director, Federal Ministry of Justice, (FMOJ), said the summit represented more than an academic engagement.

He described it as a call to action to assess progress, confront existing challenges and chart a sustainable future for legal education in Nigeria.

He commended the leadership of the NBA for convening the summit, noting that it provided a platform for stakeholders including policymakers, academics, practitioners and students to exchange ideas and build consensus on reforms.

“Legal education remains the foundation of the justice system, determining the integrity, competence and future strength of legal practice in the country,”he said.

Fagbemi observed that Nigeria had produced distinguished legal minds who had contributed significantly both locally and internationally, but stressed that emerging global realities now demand a more dynamic approach to legal training.

He said technological disruption, globalisation and increasingly complex legal issues required legal education to evolve beyond traditional teaching methods.

The minister warned that the current system faces several challenges, including outdated curricula that do not adequately cover emerging areas such as the digital economy, cyber law and international commercial practice.

He also identified inadequate infrastructure and teaching resources in some institutions, weak linkage between academic training and practical legal skills, and the need for stricter quality assurance across legal education institutions.

The Attorney-General assured stakeholders of the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting reforms aimed at strengthening legal education in Nigeria.

He, however, stressed that meaningful reform cannot be achieved by government alone, but requires collaboration among regulatory bodies, academic institutions, the NBA, the Bench and the private sector.

Fagbemi pledged continued collaboration with universities, the Nigerian Law School, the Bar and the Bench to ensure the production of lawyers who are not only competent, but also principled, innovative and responsive to societal needs.

According to him, key priority areas for reform include the review and modernisation of legal curricula, integration of technology into legal training and practice.

“Others are strengthening of clinical legal education, improved faculty capacity and infrastructure, and promotion of continuous legal education as a lifelong requirement among others,”

In his remarks, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe said that legal education, both academic and vocational, remained a critical component of the nation’s justice delivery system and must continuously evolve to remain relevant in a changing world.

Osigwe noted that legal education should not end at university level, law school, doctorate degrees or attainment of the rank of Senior Advocate.

He stressed that lawyers must embrace continuous legal education because laws evolve with society.

Quoting Lord Sankey’s 1933 position on legal training, Osigwe said lawyers must be equipped to understand the relationship between law, economics, political science and administration in order to solve emerging societal problems.

He observed that although legal education in Nigeria had recorded successes, there was an urgent need to rethink the system to meet 21st-century realities and global economic complexities.

Osigwe expressed concern that only a small percentage of young lawyers had the opportunity to undergo proper pupillage or mentorship after being called to the Bar.

“Many young lawyers now establish practice immediately after being called to the Bar, often without tutelage or even physical offices due to economic realities and advancements in communication technology,”he said.

He stressed that lawyers with entrepreneurial and market-oriented skills would be more employable, better valued and capable of expanding beyond traditional legal practice areas.

The NBA president called for a comprehensive review of the legal education system, including the duration of the law degree programme.

“Also, the review of the curriculum content, structure of the Nigerian Law School, qualifications for Bar examinations and possible licensing of private law schools,”he maintained.

Also speaking, The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Joash Amupitan, said that the summit was timely and significant.

Amupitan, who was represented his Executive Assistant on legal matters, by Dr Alhassan Akeje, noted that the summit reflected the commitment of the NBA and other stakeholders.

This, he said were to critically assess the state of legal education and develop practical reforms to improve its quality, relevance and global competitiveness.

He stressed that the legal profession plays a strategic role in sustaining democracy, constitutionalism, justice delivery and good governance, adding that the quality of legal education directly influences the strength of national institutions and development.

“Legal education must continuously evolve in response to a rapidly changing world shaped by technology, globalisation and emerging governance challenges.

“The system must produce lawyers who are intellectually sound, ethically grounded, technologically aware and professionally competent,”he said.

The INEC Chairman commended the NBA for sustained nationwide consultations with stakeholders over the past two years, which he said had resulted in concrete reform proposals.

Highlights of the event was panel discussions, award presentations to key note speakers dor their valuable contributions to the summit, questions and answers , group photographs among others. (NAN)

Update news