More than 4,000 graduates of the university’s law programme have petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, seeking intervention over their exclusion from the 2025/2026 Bar Part II vocational training programme — a mandatory stage for qualification as a lawyer in Nigeria.
The petition reflects longstanding tensions between the university’s graduates and the Council for Legal Education (CLE), the statutory body responsible for regulating legal education and administering professional training for prospective lawyers.
Legal reforms meant to remove barriers
NOUN was originally established in 1983 by former Nigerian President Shehu Shagari to promote open and distance learning in the country. However, its operations were suspended on April 25, 1984, by the military government led by Muhammadu Buhari.
The institution was later revived during the Fourth Republic by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on April 12, 2001, before commencing full academic operations on October 1, 2002.
Years later, the Nigerian government sought to strengthen the university’s legal framework. In 2017, the National Assembly amended the National Open University Act to align the institution more closely with conventional universities and remove perceived discriminatory limitations affecting its graduates.
The reform was quickly backed by the executive branch when Buhari — by then serving as civilian president — signed the amendment into law in 2018.
One of the key objectives of the amendment was to address restrictions that prevented NOUN law graduates from attending the Nigerian Law School or participating in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps programme.
Persistent accreditation challenges
Despite the legislative reforms, the CLE has continued to limit or conditionally admit NOUN law graduates into the Law School, often citing concerns about the quality assurance framework for open and distance learning programmes.
Established under the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc.) Act of 1976, the Council regulates legal education in Nigeria, accredits law faculties in universities, and oversees the professional training required before graduates can be called to the Bar.
The Nigerian Law School currently operates seven campuses across the country — with headquarters in Abuja and additional campuses in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Adamawa State, Bayelsa State, and Rivers State. Combined, the campuses can admit around 6,500 students each year.
However, accreditation issues relating to NOUN’s law programme have continued to prevent large numbers of its graduates from securing admission.
A brief breakthrough
There was a moment of optimism in July 2025 when 203 NOUN law graduates were admitted to the Nigerian Bar after successfully completing Law School training. The milestone raised hopes that the long-standing barriers might finally be easing.
But the progress proved limited. Subsequent cohorts of graduates have remained unable to gain admission to the Law School, leading to a backlog that now exceeds 4,000 individuals.
Graduates accuse authorities of discrimination
In their petition to the Attorney-General, the affected graduates argued that their continued exclusion from the Law School violates constitutional protections against discrimination.
The petition, signed by the group’s president Adefowora Adedeji and secretary-general Samuel Udofia, described the situation as a national crisis for aspiring lawyers who have already completed their academic training.
According to the group, many graduates have waited more than five years for admission into the professional training programme.
Some have died while waiting, while others have grown older and risk losing opportunities to practise law.
The petitioners argued that the 2018 amendment to the university’s founding law clearly recognised NOUN law degrees as eligible for professional legal training.
They also cited provisions in the Legal Education Act that state that holders of law degrees from recognised Nigerian universities should be eligible for admission to the Nigerian Law School.
Proposed solution to the backlog
As a practical solution, the graduates proposed distributing at least 600 NOUN law graduates annually across the seven Law School campuses in order to gradually clear the backlog.
They also pointed to the strong performance of earlier NOUN graduates who had been admitted into the Law School, arguing that their academic results and conduct demonstrated readiness for professional legal training.
Advocacy groups join the campaign
The campaign for admission has also received support from the Law Graduates’ Association of Nigeria (LAWGAN).
In February 2026, the association renewed its call for immediate admission of NOUN law graduates ahead of the new academic session of the Nigerian Law School.
In a statement signed by its President Kayode Bello and Public Relations Officer Ojo Clement, LAWGAN described the prolonged delay as unjust and harmful to the legal profession.
The group warned that continued exclusion could erode confidence in Nigeria’s legal education system and unfairly penalise graduates who had invested significant time and resources pursuing legal careers.
Obasanjo renews criticism
Among the prominent voices advocating for NOUN graduates is former President Obasanjo, who has repeatedly urged authorities to reconsider the restrictions.
In 2017, he appealed directly to the Council for Legal Education to admit the graduates, arguing that denying them access to the Law School violates their right to inclusion.
More recently, he criticised the continued exclusion as causing “ridicule, pain and suffering” for the graduates. He also urged the university’s leadership to revive its suspended law programme.
An unresolved path to the Bar
Despite mounting pressure from graduates, advocacy groups, and political figures, the Council for Legal Education has yet to announce a comprehensive solution.
For now, thousands of NOUN law graduates remain in limbo — academically qualified but still unable to complete the final professional step required to become lawyers in Nigeria.
Until a policy resolution emerges, their journey to the Bar continues to be marked by uncertainty and prolonged waiting.