GRADUATES of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Law programme have renewed calls for their admission into the Nigerian Law School, alleging that more than 4,000 qualified graduates have been denied entry into the mandatory professional training programme since 2020.
Addressing journalists during a peaceful procession to the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, the National President of the Backlog of NOUN Law Graduates, Adefowora Adedeji, said the continued non-admission of eligible graduates had subjected affected students to years of uncertainty, financial hardship and emotional distress.
“Notwithstanding the accreditation of the NOUN Law graduate programme by the National Universities Commission and the admission of earlier set of non-Law graduates into the Nigerian Law School, this prolonged situation has subjected hundreds of qualified Nigerian graduates to uncertainty, hardship, emotional distress and economic loss. Many have been unable to complete their professional legal education despite satisfying the prescribed academic requirements,” Adedeji said.
The renewed appeal comes as thousands of successful candidates are being admitted to the Nigerian Bar during the 2026 Call to Bar ceremonies taking place from July 7 to July 10 at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja. The ceremonies mark the final stage of professional legal qualification in Nigeria for candidates who successfully completed the Nigerian Law School programme after passing the December 2025 Bar Final Examinations.
Adedeji argued that the exclusion of the NOUN graduates raised questions of fairness and equality, citing Sections 34, 36 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which deal with the dignity of the human person, fair hearing and freedom from discrimination.
“Our position is firmly anchored on the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. The principle of administrative law and the statutory framework governing the National Open University of Nigeria,” he said.
He maintained that the NOUN Law programme had received accreditation from the National Universities Commission and noted that earlier sets of graduates from the institution had gained admission into the Nigerian Law School and were subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar.
“The National Open University Act of 2018 amended the National Open University Act of 1983 and addressed the legislative lacuna that previously existed under the earlier Act. The amendment strengthened the legal status of the university and its academic programme. Furthermore, the Law programme of National Open University of Nigeria has been duly accredited by the National Universities Commission, which earlier sets of non-Law graduates had already been admitted into the Nigerian law school,” he added.
The group called on the Council of Legal Education, the management of the Nigerian Law School, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure that the affected graduates are admitted for the 2026/2027 academic session.
“We therefore earnestly urge the relevant authorities to ensure that the 2026 to 2027 academic session of Nigeria does not leave us and the remaining backlog of the qualified NALOG graduates behind,” he pleaded.
He said the association had, over the years, submitted dozens of petitions to the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Body of Benchers and other relevant authorities without achieving desired result.
“We have exhausted dialogue and administrative processes. We have submitted almost 50 petitions to relevant authorities. What we want now is a definite timeline for resolving this issue,” he said.
Adediji warned that if the matter remains unresolved, members would intensify peaceful demonstrations across the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Adediji alleged that the continued impasse stemmed from disagreements between the National Open University of Nigeria and the Council of Legal Education, with graduates bearing the consequences.
” It’s not because our certificate is having a defect. But because the National University and the Council of Legal Education are having conflicts. You can imagine government agencies and government institutions, they are fighting and we are the victims,” he claimed.
“We have over 4,000 Backlog graduates that the chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Emeka Ngege, refused to give admission. Some of them from 2019, then 2020 set to 2024 set are all over Nigeria, meaning there are 36 states plus the FCT. We have record many casualties, deaths as a result of this denial. Our treasurer died, developed blood pressure as a result,” he added.
The dispute over the admission of NOUN Law graduates into the Nigerian Law School has persisted for nearly a decade. In 2016, the House of Representatives directed its committees to investigate the Council of Legal Education’s policy on NOUN graduates after complaints over their exclusion from the Law School.
The Council has consistently maintained that admission into the Nigerian Law School is governed by the Legal Education Act, accreditation requirements and regulations guiding legal education, although it later approved a special remedial programme that enabled an earlier batch of NOUN graduates to proceed to Bar training under specified conditions.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.