A team from the Council of Legal Education visited Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, to verify the facilities at the institution’s Faculty of Law.
The delegation, led by the Director-General of the Council, Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), inspected facilities at both the old and newly constructed Law Faculty buildings as part of the accreditation process.
During the inspection, Professor Chiroma described the new faculty building as “massive and one of the largest in the country” he had encountered, despite it still being under construction. He observed that the structure comprises over 100 offices, lecture halls, a law clinic, a moot court, and an auditorium, which, when fully furnished, would provide a conducive learning environment for the commencement of the Law programme.
He, however, emphasised that proper furnishing of offices, lecture halls, the moot court, and the law library was essential for the Council’s final approval. While commending the university’s efforts in equipping the library, he noted the need for more hardcopy and electronic books, particularly in core legal subjects.
He also advised the university to expand its subscription to legal research databases beyond LexisNexis. He stressed the importance of providing a utility vehicle and a bus for the Law Clinic’s outreach activities.
“We are not here to witch-hunt the University, but to help improve facilities and ensure compliance with national legal education standards,” he stated.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman, expressed gratitude to the team and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to meeting all requirements. He explained that furnishing contracts for the new Law Faculty had been awarded, but implementation would commence once the main contractor completed the building’s structural work.
Professor Sulaiman also revealed that the university had secured a TETFund intervention for the procurement of DRL law books and would, within days, activate subscriptions to electronic legal resources such as the Weekly Law Reports.
Regarding transportation, the Vice-Chancellor stated that efforts were ongoing to provide buses for both Law and Medical students. “We are in contact with His Excellency, the Visitor to the university, and the Niger State Transport Authority for the provision of buses. We are optimistic that they will arrive by July,” he said.
He further disclosed that four additional offices had been temporarily allocated to the Faculty of Law within a provisional block and the professorial complex, pending the complete relocation to the new building by December.
Concerning the moot court, Professor Sulaiman explained that a recent rainstorm had damaged some ceiling sections, but repairs were underway. “We are replacing the suspended ceiling with POP or concrete for durability. All furniture for the moot court has been paid for and will be installed once repairs are completed,” he noted.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked the Council for its objective assessment and pledged continued collaboration to ensure all accreditation requirements were met.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Abdulmunini Baba Ahmed, acknowledged the Council’s commendation and assured that the university would intensify efforts to provide world-class facilities for the take-off of the programme.
In a vote of thanks, the Registrar, Alhaji Idris Saleh Kusherki, represented by the Deputy Registrar (Establishment), Mr Sunday Gana, expressed appreciation to the Director-General and his team for the verification visit. He reaffirmed the university’s resolve to meet all required standards for a successful commencement of the Law programme.
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