TOWARDS RETHINKING LEGAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Legal education in Nigeria derived inspiration from England but the legal terrain in Nigeria is very different from that of England. Law in Nigeria is a pluralistic affair; not only the imported common law but also Islamic law and a large host of ethnic‐based customary laws play important roles. What emerges from this is a fertile ground for conflicts and tensions which have characterised law and legal education in Nigeria. This paper addresses some of the problems relating to legal education in the country and focuses essentially on the problems arising from legal pluralism, the competition between the academic and vocational aspects of legal education, the process of accreditation of law faculties, the issues of qualifications of law teachers, and the need to decolonise law and legal practice in Nigeria.