4,000 NOUN Law Graduates Demand Admission into Nigerian Law School Plans to Stage Three-Day Protest

Thousands of NOUN law graduates will stage a three-day protest in Abuja, demanding admission into the Nigerian Law School and urging the National Assembly to intervene over their continued exclusion.

The demonstration, scheduled to hold from July 7 to 9, is being organised by the National Association of NOUN Law Graduates, which says more than 4,000 graduates remain unable to proceed with their professional legal training despite completing accredited law programmes.

According to the association, the protesters will submit petitions to relevant committees of the National Assembly, including those responsible for tertiary education, public petitions and legislative oversight, urging lawmakers to intervene in what they describe as a prolonged denial of their rights.

The association’s President, Adefowora Adedeji, and Secretary-General, who jointly signed the petition, argued that the continued exclusion of NOUN law graduates from the 2026/2027 Nigerian Law School admission exercise is inconsistent with the provisions of the NOUN Amendment Act 2018, which recognises law degrees awarded by the university for professional legal training.

The graduates also cited the Legal Education (Consolidation) Act and Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, maintaining that qualified graduates of a recognised Nigerian university should not be subjected to treatment different from their counterparts in conventional universities.

While acknowledging that the Nigerian Law School has previously cited limited admission capacity as a major challenge, the association argued that the issue should no longer justify the continued exclusion of successive batches of NOUN graduates. It proposed that eligible candidates be distributed across the Law School’s seven campuses as part of a phased admission process.

The association noted that earlier batches of NOUN graduates admitted into the Nigerian Law School successfully completed the programme, insisting that concerns over academic standards have already been addressed by their performance.

It further claimed that the prolonged delay has left many graduates unable to qualify for legal practice, resulting in financial hardship, emotional distress and stalled career progression.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has previously indicated support for efforts to resolve the impasse. However, the association said a comprehensive solution has yet to be implemented.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Council of Legal Education nor the Nigerian Law School had issued an official response to the planned protest.