It was a day of “Your Excellencies”, and “locus standi” at the final round of the 2nd National Data Protection Moot Court Competition hosted by the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Friday, December 15, 2023.
According to Dr. Akinola Akintayo, an expert in human rights and emerging technologies regulation & governance and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, UNILAG, seventeen (17) universities across Nigeria registered for the competition. Out of this number, eight (8) qualified for the quarter finals which was held virtually, while four (4) qualified for the semi-finals held on Thursday, December 14, 2023.
In a close battle of the titans, the finalists, Team 16 and Team 22 warred with points, arsenal and facts at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Resource Centre (AMDRC), UNILAG. The judges comprised: Judicial Officer at the High Court of Lagos State, Justice Rahman Oshodi; Senior Associate at Olaniwon Ajayi Law Firm, Mrs. Celestina Nwabueze; Head, Information Security & Risk Management at 9mobile, Mr. Sodiq Bello; Head, Privacy Policy, Africa, Middle East and Turkey at Meta, Dr. Ololade Shyllon and Head, Information Security & Risk Management at Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, Mr. Babatunde Bamigboye, Esq.
At the end of the competition, Team 16 consisting of the duo of Inioluwa Olaposi and Samuel Oluduro from Obafemi Awolowo University bagged the “Masters of the Moot” Award, carting away three hundred and fifty thousand naira (N350,000) prize money as the winners of the competition. Team 22, comprising Adedayo Michael and Tiwalade Adekile from University of Lagos, emerged 1st runner up and University of Ilorin, 2nd runner-up, smiled home with three hundred thousand naira (N300,000) and two hundred and fifty thousand naira (N250,000) respectively.
The Best Memorial Award was won by the University of Lagos, winning a prize of one hundred thousand Naira (N100,000). The Award for Distinguished Advocate (Best Orator) was won as follows:
- Inioluwa Olaposi (OAU) – 1st place
- Tiwalade Adekile (UNILAG) – 2nd place
- Samuel Oluduro (OAU) – 3rd place
The Moot Court Competition, supported by Meta, was well-attended by dignitaries such as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa and Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Bolodoeku Ige, as well as students of the University.
Watch the Livestream on YouTube below:
The National Data Protection Moot Court Competition is part of efforts by researchers in the UNILAG Faculty of Law to foster a Compliance–Ready Data Protection Environment in Nigeria.
The Competition specifically allows students to increase their knowledge in the principles and practices of Privacy and Data Protection Laws while also testing their understanding of the subject matter. It also provides a platform for Law students and seasoned professionals/practitioners to interact and engage in knowledge generation and sharing through research and advocacy.
