The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has issued a statement warning that some foreign institutions based in the West African Sub-Region may not be eligible for consideration for admission to the Nigerian Law School if they intend to become Legal Practitioners.
The above statement was contained in a disclaimer published by the CLE with the title “PROLIFERATION OF UNIVERSITIES IN SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES, PURPORTEDLY FOR NIGERIAN STUDENTS.
The publication reads:
The Council of Legal Education wishes to draw attention of the general public to the increasing number of universities being established in some African Countries, especially in the West African Sub-Region, purposely to target Nigerian Students. some of the institutions claim affiliation to universities from jurisdictions outside Africa and curiously some of them claim to offer Nigerian Law Courses without the knowledge of, or approval from any regulatory authority in Nigeria. A number of these institutions are located in Civil Law Jurisdictions, but they claim to offer Common Law Courses and award degrees that are not awarded by institutions in their countries; and which are unknown to their Legal System.
An example of such is the Houdegbe North American University, Cotonou, Benin, Republic, which has been offering the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, purposely for Nigerian students even when that degree is not awarded in its country of domicile. furthermore, it was revealed that the institution had been offering the LL,B degree to Nigerian students, even when it was not licensed to offer any law programme in its own country.
of note it the fact that the National Universities Commission and the Council of Legal Education only regulate institutions in Nigeria. Training of Nigerian Students in institutions outside our boundaries, in courses of study that are not verified and recognized by Nigerian authorities, will invariably result in the infusion of poorly trained graduates from such institutions thus impacting negatively on the progress of our country.
in some instances, these candidates who attended the foreign Universities went in with qualifications that were below the pre-requisites for admission to Nigerian Universities. on account of this, students who study law in those foreign institutions may not be eligible for consideration for admission to the Nigerian Law School, if they intend to become Legal Practitioners.
It should also be noted that the study for a single degree of law, spanning multiple instituions and countries, is not accepted for admission to the Nigerian Law School.
Parents, Guardians and the general public are accordingly advised to exercise due caution, by making appropriate enquiries from the relevant home agencies, in determining institutions outside Nigeria that are recognized for the study of law. The Nigerian Law School and the National University Commission will always be available to provide necesary guaidance on this issue.
Undertaking the study of law in a Civil Law countries is different from doing the dame in Common Law countries; and there is a different path way to the legal profession in Nigeria, for graduates of approved insitutions in Civil Law Jurisdictiions.
Signed
Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration
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