The Federal House of Representatives has called on the Council of Legal Education to stop forthwith the increment of the Nigerian Law School fees.
The House following the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Obinna Chinda in the absence of the sponsor, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, urged the council to stay action on the matter owing to the economic situation in the country.
Leading the debate on the motion titled, “Need to check the 60 per cent increase in the Nigerian Law School Fees,” Obinna noted that the Nigerian Law School “Is the medium through which the Council of Legal Education discharges its function to regulate the legal education of persons seeking to become members of the legal profession as provided for under Section 1(2) of the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc.) Act Cap. L10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He also noted that the function of the Council of Legal Education to oversee legal education in Nigeria includes deciding the cost of tuition and other services rendered to students of the Nigerian Law School.
“The House is aware that Nigeria is currently facing a 27.33 per cent inflation rate, as reported by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, which is projected by trade economics to rise to 30 per cent by December 2024.”
“The House is concern that in exercising its functions, the Council of Legal Education has approved a 60 per cent increase in Nigerian law school fees from N296,000.00) to N476,000 in 2023/2024 Bar Part II academic session,” adding that the House “Is also ware that the 2023-2024 Bar Part II academic session commenced in January 2024 with no time given to prospective students to raise the balance.”
He further noted that unless immediate steps are taken to strike a balance between the Council’s need to provide quality services and the prospective students’ abilities to afford an increment, the country will see a high decrease in the number of Nigerian law school students, resultant decrease in the number of lawyers in the next Call to Bar Ceremony, therefore leading to a higher national unemployment rate as those unable to attend law school cannot work as legal practitioners.”
Apart from urging the Council of Legal Education to stop the implementation of the increment , the House also mandated its Committees on Tertiary Education and Services “To explore solutions to the issue at hand and report back within two weeks for further legislative action as time is of the essence.”
