The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s legal education system, warning that the profession risks irrelevance if it fails to adapt to modern realities. He made the call at the 2026 NBA Legal Education Summit, speaking on the theme “Accelerating Legal Education Reform in Nigeria: Progress, Problems & Prospects”.
Mazi Osigwe stressed the need for a more practical, technology-driven and competency-based legal training system, that can adequately prepare Lawyers for 21st-century legal practice. He advocated stronger mentorship structures, expanded legal clinics and moot court programmes, and a shift away from excessive reliance on rote learning in Law Faculties.
The NBA President also called for greater integration of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship into legal education, to better equip future Lawyers for evolving professional demands.
He further questioned whether the current duration required to obtain an LL.B degree remains necessary, arguing that emphasis should be placed more on practical skills and professional competence.
The Summit brought together legal academics, regulators, members of the Bench and Bar, law students and other stakeholders committed to shaping the future of legal education in Nigeria.
