A team from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria led by the Director-General, Mr. Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar paid a courtesy visit on Monday, February 8, 2021 to the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, FAS.
At the event, Mr. Abubakar said the meeting was unique because UNILAG was the 1st institution the team visited in its quest to have their proposed programme get certification from Universities. He also added that the programme’s uniqueness is such that it does not need ratification from the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) or the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) but need the endorsement of Faculties of Law of different universities only.
The Director-General also noted that one of the reasons some people get imprisoned for longer years is their inability to hire good lawyers or misplaced case files. It is on this premise that the Civil Litigation Service was established for the purpose of assisting indigent persons to access legal advice, assistance, and representation in court where the interest of justice demands.
Mr. Abubakar summed up his comment by saying under the Nigerian legal system, the Council shall be responsible for the representation before any court or tribunal for such civil matters.
In response, Professor Ogundipe thanked them for choosing UNILAG as the 1st point of contact. He emphasized the readiness of the institution to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with them once the documents are made available so they can be presented at the next Senate Meeting. He also used the occasion to ask the visitors what would be the entry level qualification of the program. He considers it appropriate that if the entry qualification is O’level then Human Resources Development Centre (HRDC) should coordinate it but if it is BSc then University of Lagos Business School (ULBS) can handle it.
Professor Ogundipe concluded by saying the Dean, Faculty of Law, Professor Ige Bolodeoku, should work closely with them for a robust curriculum that would be beneficial to all.
