The Legal Education Committee (LEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for increased investment in Nigeria’s legal education system, emphasizing the need to produce practice-ready lawyers capable of contributing to the nation’s social and economic advancement.
The Committee made this appeal at the inaugural Regional Townhall Workshop on Legal Education, which was hosted at Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts by the NBA to strengthen legal education and practice nationwide. As part of this agenda, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, inaugurated the NBA-LEC under the leadership of Professor Damilola Sunday Olawuyi, SAN, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). The Committee’s mandate includes promoting functional and modern legal education, with a focus on innovative teaching methods and targeted training initiatives.
In pursuit of its objectives, the NBA-LEC launched the Regional Townhall Workshop Series, with the maiden edition held in the South-East region at IMSU. The event drew a crowd of more than 300 participants, comprising legal scholars, students, and practitioners from across the region.
Key stakeholders in attendance included the Vice-Chancellor of IMSU, Prof. Uchefula Ugonna Chukwumaeze, SAN, and the Chairman of the NBA-LEC Regional Townhall Workshop Series, Prof. Chimezie Kingsley Okorie, SAN. Law teachers and students from several universities participated actively in discussions around improving legal education standards.
Four institutions — Abia State University, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Imo State University, and Enugu State University of Science and Technology — delivered critical presentations assessing the current state of legal education in Nigeria and proposing actionable reforms.
The NBA-LEC reiterated its commitment to fostering a more dynamic, practice-oriented legal education system, stressing that sustainable investment in legal training is essential to equipping the next generation of Nigerian lawyers for the evolving demands of the profession.
