List of Best Universities to Study Law in Nigeria 2018-2019

Legal advisers in all the various forms in which they come are very important in a modern day society. There will always be disagreements and feuds among various parties. If they can’t reach an agreement, they sometimes have to go to court. It is very much unlike the olden days when aggrieved parties fought physically and the stronger one was declared right.

Lawyers are in great demand in our time; this makes the course one of the most popular for art students in secondary schools. However, only a handful of them will get into the university to study law. It is a professional course and therefore attractive, so you can expect intense competition to study law in any University. These are the best universities for studying law in Nigeria.

In the latest rankings, there has been a lot of shake up, and some very unlikely schools have emerged at the top of the table. This is according to the rankings by Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, (NIALS).  According to the DG of NIALS, a lot of research and collation of data was done before these schools were chosen.

Top Ten Universities to Study Law in Nigeria

Abia State University (ABSU)

ABSU was originally Imo state university (IMSU), and was founded in 1981. In the 90s though it became Abia state University when Abia state was carved out of Imo state. This school’s main campus is located at Uturu in Okigwe, a town bordering Imo and Abia state. And this is where the law students study. Rumour has it that Orji Uzor Kalu graduated from the Law faculty while serving as the governor of the state.  ABSU is no1 on our list, and it is really a big surprise. ABSU offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in law.

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU Zaria)

ABU is a very prestigious university, and a lot of times they come tops in Nigerian university rankings. In recent times though, its popularity has waned as people now try as much as possible to avoid northern Nigeria.  Ahmadu Bello University is in Zaria, Kaduna state Nigeria. Apart from Abuja, which is almost no man’s land, Kaduna is the most tolerant place in Northern Nigeria. The school was established in 1962, and operates two campuses: Samaru (main) and Kongo campuses, both in Zaria. The Kongo campus houses the Law and administration faculties. If you don’t mind going to the North, ABU is a great institution of learning, definitely one of the best in Nigeria, in law and many other disciplines.

Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma (AAU)

Another surprise right, well according to NIALS AAU comes third on the latest rankings displacing more prestigious schools like UI and UNILAG. Ambrose Alli University is located in Ekpoma Edo state, it is owned by the Edo state government. The faculty of law in AAU was established in 1981, the same year AAU was established. AAU offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Law.

Benue State University Makurdi

Benue State University was established in 1992, by the Benue state government. It was as a means to augment the only university in the state then. Benue State University pays a lot of attention to its law faculty. This is evident in the fact that they have a separate law library apart from the general school library. Benue state in the middle belt region of the country and food is really cheap there.

Delta State University Abraka (DELSU)

This is anther Nigerian university to consider if you’re looking to go the wig and gown route. Delsu was established in 1992, it is owned by the Delta state government. It has three campuses Abraka, Anwai and Oleh, but the main campus is at Abraka. The faculty of law is housed at the Oleh campus.

Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)

ESUT was established in 1980, as Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH), and it once had Proff Chinua Achebe as its Pro-chancellor. In 1991 when Enugu was created from Anambra, the school was ceded to Enugu state . And it became ESUT. Enugu State University is owned and run by the Enugu state government.

Imo State University (IMSU)

During the tenure of former governor Ikedi Ohakim, the name was change to Evans Ewerem University, amidst protests from management and students alike. IMSU is #7 on our list of best law universities in Nigeria.  Imsu may not generally be prestigious school, but its Law faculty is one of the best in the country. And law students in this university have a dress code for lectures. They are always required to dress formally, in black and white.

IMSU is Owerri Imo state, and its campus is an urban campus. So there are lots of fun activities going on around the school environment. The school has no student living quatres, so everyone stays of campus. Though land for their permanent site has been mapped out for them somewhere between Ngor-Okpala and Mba-Ise LGA’s in Imo state. The name has since be reverted to Imo State University.

Lagos State University Ojo (LASU)

Established in 1983, this university educates about 35,000 full time students, it also offers diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. There are five programmes in LASU law faculty: Jurisprudence and International Law, Commercial and Industrial Law, Public Law, Islamic Law, Private and Property Law and Legal Studies. LASU has two campuses, the Ojo campus which is the main campus and houses the Law faculty. And the Epe campus, which is very much bigger than the main campus.  This school is run and owned by the Lagos state government.

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK)

After the splitting of Enugu from Anambra State, the Awka and Nnewi campus of the former ASUTECH were left in Anambra, and they constituted the campuses for the new UNIZIK. In 1992, NAU, was taken over by the Federal government, and up until now it is still a Federal government institution.

Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife (OAU)

Great –Ife as they are called, is a very popular tertiary institution in the south west. It was once called university of Ife, until the 70s when it was changed to Obafemi Awolowo University. According to NIALS OAU, is number 10  on our list of universities to study law in Nigeria. Of course we would have expected OAU to top this list. But it seems as though the school has been resting on its oars while riding on its past glories.

So here you have it! If you want to study law, these are the best institutions in the country. Truly the standard of education in Nigeria is still very low when compared to several other around the world, and I guess that’s why the DG of NIALS made sure this rankings were published. It would awaken the spirit of competition among the institutions and perhaps quality will climb.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *