As the Nigerian Law School starts a new academic year, students face an unexpected problem—a big increase in tuition fees. Despite orders from the House of Representatives, the Council of Legal Education has announced a 60% fee hike, raising concerns about the affordability of legal education.
For the upcoming Bar Part II session (2023/2024), students must now pay N476,000, a significant jump from the previous fee of N296,000. This announcement from the Council of Legal Education at the Nigerian Law School Headquarters in Abuja goes against the recommendations of legislative authorities.
On February 21, 2024, the House of Representatives passed a resolution asking the Council of Legal Education to stop raising tuition fees. However, the Council ignored this directive and increased the fees, leading to debates and dissatisfaction among stakeholders.
Representative Obinna Ginger chaired a session where concerns were raised about the financial burden on students, especially given Nigeria’s high inflation rate. Despite these worries, the Law School decided to proceed with the fee hike, leading to more scrutiny and calls for accountability.
As the new academic year begins, the Nigerian Law School’s decision to ignore legislative orders highlights the urgent need for open discussions and joint efforts to solve the problems facing legal education in Nigeria.
