Thousands of graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Law programme have renewed calls for their admission into the Nigerian Law School, warning that they may embark on nationwide peaceful protests if the long-running dispute over their eligibility remains unresolved.
The graduates, under the aegis of the Backlog of NOUN Law Graduates Association, said more than 4,000 qualified graduates have allegedly been denied admission into the mandatory professional legal training programme since 2020 despite completing their academic requirements.
Speaking during a peaceful procession to the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, the association’s National President, Adefowora Adedeji, described the situation as unjust and discriminatory, arguing that affected graduates have endured years of uncertainty, financial hardship and emotional distress.
“Notwithstanding the accreditation of the NOUN Law programme by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the admission of earlier sets of NOUN graduates into the Nigerian Law School, this prolonged situation has subjected hundreds of qualified Nigerian graduates to hardship, emotional distress and economic loss,” Adedeji said.
He noted that many affected graduates had been unable to complete their professional legal education despite satisfying the prescribed academic requirements.
The renewed appeal comes as thousands of candidates are being admitted to the Nigerian Bar during the 2026 Call to Bar ceremonies taking place between July 7 and July 10 at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja following their successful completion of the Nigerian Law School programme and the December 2025 Bar Final Examinations.
Adedeji argued that the continued exclusion of NOUN Law graduates raises concerns about fairness, equality and constitutional rights, citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution relating to human dignity, fair hearing and freedom from discrimination.
“Our position is firmly anchored on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the statutory framework governing the National Open University of Nigeria,” he stated.
According to him, the NOUN Law programme is fully accredited by the National Universities Commission, while the National Open University Act 2018 strengthened the legal status of the institution and addressed earlier legislative gaps that had affected perceptions of its programmes.
“The Law programme of the National Open University of Nigeria has been duly accredited by the National Universities Commission, and earlier sets of graduates have been admitted into the Nigerian Law School and subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar,” he said.
The association called on President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Council of Legal Education and the management of the Nigerian Law School to intervene and ensure that qualified NOUN Law graduates are admitted during the 2026/2027 academic session.
“We therefore earnestly urge the relevant authorities to ensure that the 2026/2027 academic session of the Nigerian Law School does not leave us and the remaining backlog of qualified NOUN Law graduates behind,” Adedeji appealed.
He disclosed that the association had submitted numerous 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 institutions without achieving a resolution.
“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.
Adedeji warned that members of the association would intensify peaceful demonstrations across the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory if the issue remains unresolved.
He further alleged that the prolonged impasse was a result of disagreements between the National Open University of Nigeria and the Council of Legal Education, with graduates bearing the consequences.
“It is not because our certificates have any defect. Government institutions are having disagreements, and we are the victims,” he claimed.
The association also alleged that some affected graduates have suffered severe emotional and financial consequences as a result of the prolonged delay in gaining admission into the Law School.
The controversy over the admission of NOUN Law graduates into the Nigerian Law School has persisted for years.
In 2016, the House of Representatives directed its committees to investigate complaints over the exclusion of NOUN graduates from the Law School.
While the Council of Legal Education has maintained that admission into the Nigerian Law School is guided by the Legal Education Act, accreditation requirements and existing regulations governing legal education in Nigeria, it previously approved a special remedial programme that enabled some NOUN Law graduates to proceed to Bar training under specified conditions.
Efforts to permanently resolve the issue have yet to yield a consensus, leaving thousands of graduates awaiting a decision that could determine their progression into the legal profession.
