The Senate on Tuesday passed a Bill that seeks to increase the number Nigerian Law School campuses from six to 12.
The Bill, titled: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc) Act by establishing the campuses for the Nigerian Law School, and for other related matters” was sponsored Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi West).
The passage of the Bill was sequel to the adoption of the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters that considered the Bill.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi, is titled, ‘A bill for an Act to amend the Legal Education (Consolidation etc.) Act.’
It seeks to establish campuses for the Nigerian Law School in all the six geo-political zones across the country.
The bill seeks seven additional campuses in Kabba, Kogi State and Jos, Plateau State (North-Central); Maiduguri, Borno State (North-East); Argungu, Kebbi State (North-West); Okija, Anambra State (South-East); Orogun, Delta State (South-South), and Ilawe, Ekiti (South-West).
The existing law school campuses are located in Lagos (South-West), Abuja (FCT), Yola – Adamawa (North-East), Kano (North-West), Enugu (South-East) Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Yenagoa – Bayelsa State (South-South).
The Council for Legal Education (CLE) had also obtained approval for the establishment of a campus in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The passage of the Bill was sequel to the adoption of the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters that considered the Bill.
According to the Bill, “There shall be established a minimum of two campuses in each of the six geo-political zones, as specified in the schedule to the Bill.
“Subject to the provision of subsection 3, of this section, creation of additional campuses of the Nigerian Law School shall be approved by the National Assembly through legislation whenever the need arises.”
The Senate further resolved that the Bwari Law School should be for the Federal Capital City, while the proposed campuses in Kabba, Kogi State and Jos, Plateau State, would take care of the North-Central zone.
The committee in its observation and findings, said: “That in view of the exponential increase in the number of law graduates from our universities and even foreign universities, coupled with the backlog that existed over the years, this legislative intervention measure is not only apt and timely but paramount;
“That without prejudice to the establishment of the Law School Campus in Port Harcourt, the provision for additional campuses in the six-geopolitical zones of the federation in this Bill is appropriate as it has not tampered with the seven existing campuses established by administrative responsibilities of the Council of Legal Education;
“That the existing campuses are overstretched and the infrastructures are not enough to accommodate thousands of law students graduating from the universities;
“That apart from the statutory requirement for the creation of additional campuses, it should be strictly on the basis of need assessment and fulfillment of other indicators, such as, convenience and accessibility by lecturers, staff and students, availability of office, lecture theater and hostel facilities, proximity to courts and law offices; and
“That the Federal Government should, as a matter of priority, provide adequate resources for the funding of the infrastructural needs of the Law School campuses, across the country.”
