Lawyers, judges, legal educators, non-lawyers in business, economic and financial spheres, government and policy leaders, community leaders, experts, researchers and academics are in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti, for the Legal Education Summit being organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in collaboration with Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti.

The Summit, which began with preliminary activities yesterday, will have an opening ceremony today Wednesday, 30th March, 2022, at theAfe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, which will be followed bu four main plenary sessions with over 25 speakers who will lead the conversation on transforming the legal education system in Nigeria.

Day 1 of the two-day Summit featured a tour of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, a welcome cocktail and a debate session on “The Proliferation of Campuses of the Nigerian Law School (For or Against)”, according to a statement signed by Prof. Damilola S. Olawuyi (SAN), Chairman, 2022 Summit Planning Committee.

The debaters included Prof. Agbo Madaki, Dean, Faculty of Law, Philomath University, Abuja, and Member, Council of Legal Education; Prof. Festus Oghenemaro Emiri (SAN), former Dean of Law, Delta State University, Oleh Campus, and Former Deputy Director General, Nigerian Law School; and Inemesit Dike, CEO, the Legal Concierge, on one side, and Prof. Sylvester Sadiq Shikyil (SAN), Dean of Law, University of Jos; Dr Sam Amadi, Associate Professor and Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought; and Prof Ayodele Atsenuwa, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development Services), University of Lagos, on the other side.

Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) will deliver the opening remarks at the conference opening ceremony on Wednesday. Likewise, Prof Olawuyi (SAN); Prof Dakas C.J. Dakas (SAN), Chairman, NBA Legal Education Committee; Prof Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde, Vice Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, and Mr Olumide Akpata, NBA President, will give the welcome remarks, while Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), Chairman, Council of Legal Education; Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Minister of State for Education; Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi will deliver the goodwill messages.

The Summit aims to examine the journey so far in the development of the legal education system in Nigeria, and to chart the course for a desirable future built on pedagogical innovation and transformative development. As such, the speakers and discussants for the panel session have been carefully selected to do justice to the equally carefully selected sub-themes.

The first session on “Reimagining Legal Education in Nigeria” will focus on legal education policy, strategy, funding, and infrastructure, will have Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), Chancellor and Founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, as the Keynote Speaker.

The session will be moderated by Prof Dakas (SAN), who chairs the NBA Legal Education Committee, while the discussants are Prof Oluyemisi A. Bamgbose (SAN), Chairman, NBA Women Forum and Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan; Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC); Mrs. Patricia Igwebuike, Secretary, Anambra State Law Revision Committee, and Prof. Kaniye S. A. Ebeku, Rivers State Commissioner for Education and former Dean of Law, University of Calabar.

Dr. Adewale Olawoyin (SAN), Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos and President, Lagos Court of Arbitration, will moderate the second session on “Designing the Appropriate Curriculum for the 21st Century Lawyer”. Prof. Damilola Olawuyi (SAN), Deputy Vice Chancellor, ABUAD and Co-Chairman, NBA Legal Education Committee, will be the Lead Discussant, while the discussants are Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), Director-General, Nigerian Law School; Prof Oluyinka Omorogbe (SAN), former Attorney General, Edo State, Professor, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) & Senior Fellow, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative; Mr. Dan Agbor, Senior Partner, Udo Udoma & Bello-Osagie, and Prof. R.A.C.E Achara, Principal Prof., RACE Achara Law Chambers.

The session will focus on review of current curriculum, accounting for lawyers, technology law, entrepreneurship, and soft skills for lawyers.

The third session will dwell on the topic “Contemporary Legal Education Methodology”, which will focus on teaching methods, law tech, teacher training, teacher welfare, and teacher standards. Prof Ernest Ojukwu (SAN), Partner, Ojukwu, Faotu & Yusuf and former Deputy Director-General, Nigerian Law School, will lead the discussion, while Prof Olawale Ajai, Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University; Prof Usman Muhammad Shu’aib, Dean, Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, and President, Nigerian Association of Law Teachers; Prof Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde, Vice Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, and Kenneth Okwor, Doctoral Candidate, University of Cambridge, and Senior Associate, Templars, will be the panellists. The session will be moderated by Hon. Justice Alero Akeredolu, Judge, High Court of Ondo State.

The fourth plenary will be moderated by Dr. Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Nasarawa State, while Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, Founding Partner RouQ & Co. and Former Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, will be the Lead Discussant. The topic, “Adaptive Strategies for the Future of Legal Education in Nigeria”, will focus on continuing professional development, maintaining standards, monitoring and evaluation, and quality assurance.

The discussants are Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo (SAN), Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oyo State; Prof Momodu Kassim-Momodu, Dean, Bolaji Ajibola College of Law, Crescent University, Abeokuta; Mr. Tobenna Erojikwe, Chairman, Governing Council, NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and Prof Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (OON), Former Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria.

The organisers announced that there will be a Q&A session at the end of each panel discussion, as well as group photograph and presentation of gifts.