The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has clinched top honours at the 3rd National Data Protection Moot Court Competition, earning the coveted title of “Masters of the Moot”.
UNILAG’s Team 11, comprising Esther Nnadozie and Ayotunde Abiodun from the Faculty of Law, delivered a stellar performance that swept nearly every prize on offer, including the grand prize of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (₦700,000). The team also secured the Best Memorials Award with an additional Two Hundred Thousand Naira (₦200,000), just as Esther Nnadozie and Ayotunde Abiodun were named 1st and 3rd place winners in the Distinguished Advocate (Best Orator) category. Majesty Nja of the University of Calabar took the 2nd place slot.
The University of Calabar (Team 17) and Ebonyi State University (Team 19) emerged as first and second runners-up, winning Six Hundred Thousand Naira (₦600,000) and Five Hundred Thousand Naira (₦500,000) respectively.
Out of the 17 universities that registered and competed in the competition across the country, two – UNILAG and UNICAL made it to the grand finale. Hosted on Thursday, April 10, 2024 in a hybrid format at Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre, UNILAG, the grand finale featured a panel of distinguished judges including Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court; Managing Counsel at Olaniwon Ajayi Law Firm, Mrs. Celestina Nwabueze; Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Sesan; and Director of Privacy Policy for Africa, Middle East and Turkey (AMET) at Meta Inc., Dr. Ololade Shyllon.
The event featured brief addresses from Dr. Akinola Akintayo, an expert in human rights and Criminal Justice and Associate Professor at the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, UNILAG; immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), UNILAG, Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa; Dean of the Faculty of Law, UNILAG, Prof. Abiola Sanni; Head, Legal, Enforcement & Regulations Department at the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Mr. Babatunde Bamigboye, Esq., representing the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr. Vincent Olatunji; Dr. Ololade Shyllon and Mr. Gbenga Sesan.
Jointly organized by Faculty of Law, UNILAG and Meta Platforms Inc., the event forms part of a broader research initiative promoting a compliance-ready data protection ecosystem in Nigeria. It offered law students a hands-on opportunity to hone their skills in legal research, writing, and advocacy, while deepening their understanding of privacy and data protection.
UNILAG’s victory is more than a win; it’s a bold statement of its excellence in legal education and commitment to shaping the future of digital rights advocacy in Nigeria.
Watch the Mooting Competition below:
Report: Ndidi J. Odinikaeze
Photographs: Samuel Dosumu
