House of Representatives Acts on NOUN Law Graduates' Admission

The House of Representatives has intervened in the ongoing dispute regarding the admission of law graduates from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) into the Nigerian Law School. This action followed a petition from a group of affected graduates, organized as the “Backlog of Law Graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN),” who claimed that over 5,000 graduates have been denied admission, preventing them from qualifying for the Bar.

The petition was signed by Dr Adeniyi Oladele (President), Nora John (Vice-President), Paschal Emeka Egerue (Secretary), and Chibueze Kenneth Obochi (Public Relations Officer). They argued that this situation has left them stranded despite completing their LLB programs, while graduates from other universities have successfully proceeded to the Nigerian Law School.

The House Committee on Public Petitions has invited NOUN and the Council of Legal Education (CLE) to clarify the circumstances of the dispute. Obochi emphasized that the affected graduates should not suffer due to inter-agency conflicts, referencing Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates equal educational opportunities for all Nigerian citizens.