The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), has expressed concern over the growing disregard for admission quotas by universities offering law, warning that the trend has worsened congestion at the Nigerian Law School and overstretched its facilities.
In an interview on Sunday, Osigwe said many institutions were admitting students far in excess of their approved quotas, producing a surge of law graduates that the Law School was struggling to accommodate.
“We should look at the proliferation of universities, the increasing demand for admission to study law, and the pressure on the Law School. Too many universities are offering law, and many are abusing the admission quota system. People can’t even get into the Law School, and this has created serious problems,” he said.
According to him, the backlog of eligible graduates has forced the Law School to expand its annual intake, thereby increasing the number of new lawyers called to the Bar each year. While noting that it would be unfair to deny graduates access, he urged urgent reforms to balance university admissions with the Law School’s limited capacity.
Osigwe also addressed complaints about the restriction allowing each graduate only one invitation card for the Call to Bar ceremonies. He explained that the measure was due to space, safety, and crowd control concerns, given the rising numbers.
At the last Call to Bar in July, about 5,728 candidates were admitted over three days, nearly 1,900 per day. Another 4,429 were called between September 23 and 25.
“The reality is that the hall has limited capacity. With the rising number of graduates, safety and crowd control become major concerns. If each student brought two guests, the hall would be overwhelmed. The facilities simply cannot cope,” he said.
He recalled that during his own Call to Bar in 1999, each graduate was allowed two guests, but stressed that today’s situation made such a practice impractical. Although he acknowledged the inconvenience for families, he insisted that the restriction was a necessary compromise to maintain order and safety.
The Call to Bar is the official ceremony conducted by the Body of Benchers to admit successful candidates into the legal profession as barristers and solicitors. To qualify, graduates must complete vocational training at the Nigerian Law School, pass the Council of Legal Education examinations, and be certified as fit and proper by the screening committee.
