The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has called for immediate and well-coordinated reforms in Nigeria’s legal education system to produce lawyers who are skilled, innovative and able to compete globally.
He made the appeal 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,” where he was represented by the Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Gladys Odegbaro.
Fagbemi described the gathering as a strategic platform for reflection and action on the future of legal training in the country, noting that it brings together policymakers, academics, practitioners and students to build consensus on reform.
He commended the NBA for organising the summit, saying legal education remains the backbone of the justice system and directly influences the quality and integrity of legal practice in Nigeria.
According to him, although the country has produced outstanding legal professionals over the years, current global developments now require a more responsive and modern approach to training lawyers.
He explained that rapid technological changes, globalisation and increasingly complex legal issues have made it necessary to move beyond traditional teaching methods in law faculties.
The Attorney-General identified several challenges facing the system, including outdated curricula that do not sufficiently cover emerging areas such as cyber law, digital economy and international commercial practice.
He also pointed to inadequate infrastructure in some institutions, weak practical training components, and the need for stronger quality assurance mechanisms across legal education bodies.
Fagbemi reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to support reforms aimed at strengthening the system, stressing that meaningful progress would require collaboration among regulators, universities, the Nigerian Bar Association, the judiciary and the private sector.
He said priority areas for improvement include updating the legal curriculum, incorporating technology into training, strengthening clinical legal education, improving teaching capacity and infrastructure, and promoting continuous professional development for lawyers.
In his remarks, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe said legal education must continually evolve to remain relevant and effective in delivering justice in a changing world.
He noted that training in law should not end after university or law school, but should continue throughout a lawyer’s career, as legal systems and societal needs are constantly changing.
Osigwe stressed that lawyers need interdisciplinary knowledge, including economics, politics and administration, to effectively address modern legal and social challenges.
He observed that while progress has been made in legal education, there is still an urgent need for reform to align the system with 21st-century realities and global economic demands.
The NBA president also raised concern that only a small number of young lawyers receive proper mentorship after being called to the Bar, as many begin practice without structured guidance due to economic constraints and evolving work environments.
He argued that lawyers equipped with entrepreneurial and practical skills would be more competitive and better positioned to expand their practice areas.
Osigwe further called for a comprehensive review of legal education, including the duration of law programmes, curriculum structure, law school training, bar examination requirements and the possible introduction of private law schools.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, also described the summit as timely, saying it reflects growing efforts to improve the quality and relevance of legal training in Nigeria.
Represented by his Executive Assistant on Legal Matters, Dr. Alhassan Akeje, he said legal education plays a key role in strengthening democracy, governance and justice delivery, as it shapes the competence of those who operate national institutions.
He added that legal training must adapt to technological advancement, globalisation and emerging governance challenges in order to produce ethically grounded and technologically aware professionals.
Amupitan commended the NBA for ongoing consultations with stakeholders aimed at developing practical reform proposals for the sector.
The event featured panel discussions, goodwill messages, award presentations, interactive sessions and group photographs.