The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has suspended admissions to the Law Faculties of nine Nigerian universities due to a lack of proper accreditation. This decision, announced after the CLE’s second quarterly meeting of 2024, was led by Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, who emphasized the importance of maintaining educational standards.

The universities affected by this suspension include:

  1. Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State
  2. Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State
  3. Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State
  4. Taraba State University, Jalingo
  5. Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State
  6. Kwara State University, Malete
  7. Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State
  8. Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State
  9. Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State

These institutions were found to have admitted and graduated law students without securing the required accreditation from the CLE. In response to this breach, the council has halted further admissions into their law programs.

Additionally, Lead City University in Ibadan, Oyo State, has been hit with a five-year moratorium, stemming from inadequate infrastructure and repeated violations of its admission quota. The CLE is currently making arrangements to accommodate over 1,000 students who were admitted improperly by the institution.

The council has also addressed a recent court ruling related to a historic property in Lagos, formerly the site of Nigeria’s first Law School. An ad-hoc committee has been tasked with ensuring compliance with the ruling and exploring preservation options for the landmark.

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In a positive development, two private institutions—El-Amin University and Newgate University in Minna, Niger State—were granted provisional accreditation with an initial admission quota of 50 students each.

CLE’s efforts to uphold standards continue with a future review of the Law Faculties at Veritas University in Abuja and Kola Daisi University in Ibadan. Meanwhile, the University of Abuja has seen an increase in its admission quota, now allowed to admit 160 students due to improvements in academic staff and infrastructure.

Furthermore, the council approved the establishment of a legal unit within the office of the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School. This unit will monitor legal proceedings involving the CLE and keep the council informed.

Parents with children aspiring to study law at these institutions should consider transferring them to other accredited universities to avoid complications with their legal education.