Best Universities to Study Law in Nigeria

Law practitioners are some of the most respected and highly placed professionals in Nigeria. A lot of Nigerian parents dream about having children who are Lawyers, Barristers, and what have you. Lawyers are also the most sought-after professionals in Nigeria because they play a very vital role in maintaining law and order in the country.

In addition, lawyers are needed in basically every sector in Nigeria including businesses, corporations, banks, and even churches; they help draft contracts, and agreements, and facilitate settlements.

A lot of young Nigerians have aspirations of becoming lawyers, this is not a bad choice after all as lawyers as placed highly in society. The first step to take in actualizing this dream is applying for admission into tertiary institutions to study law. It is at this point that a lot of potential law students make mistakes as they tend to choose just any school that comes to mind forgetting that employees in the Nigerian labor market are partial to institutions attended.

The University you attend as a Law student matters a lot in your employment prospects. Attending a university of high repute puts you at the top of employment chances and attending some “cut and join” colleges as a lot of Nigerians put it will make it difficult for you to be gainfully employed.

You might be good at problem-solving, critical thinking, and knowledgeable in legal matters but if you did not attend one of the best universities to study law, your employment prospects might be shaky because very few Nigerian employees believe in testing for actual knowledge. This article seeks to highlight the best universities to study law in Nigeria, we hope that this article helps you in your search for top universities to study law in Nigeria.

Best Universities to Study Law in Nigeria

1. University of Lagos (UNILAG)

UniLag is located in Lagos State, the university was established in 1962, and today the university’s high academic standards make it one of the best universities to study law in Nigeria.

University of Lagos’s Faculty of Law is one of the few law faculties that hold full accreditation in Nigeria.

The University of Lagos in 2021 produced the highest number of first-class graduates of law in Nigeria.

UNILAG Faculty of Law has 4 undergraduate law programs:

  1. Bachelor of Laws degree in Public law; LLB (Public Law)
  2. Bachelor of Laws degree in Private and Property law; LLB (Private and Property Law)
  3. Bachelor of Laws degree in Commercial and Industrial Law; LLB (Commercial and Industrial Law)
  4. Bachelor of Laws degree in Jurisprudence and International Law; LLB (Jurisprudence and International Law)

The University of Lagos has a lot of prestigious and well-recognized alumni, one of which is Professor Yemi Osinbajo who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and vice president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2024.

2. University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)

The University of Ilorin located in Kwara was founded in 1975, during the military era. The University of Ilorin has a reputation for producing many first-class students in Nigerian Law Schools.

Aside from producing first-class law graduates, Unilorin is also known as the public university with the fastest academic calendar in the country due to the fact that they do not embark on strike actions.

3. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)

Obafemi Awolowo University is a public university that has been known to produce the best law graduates.  Apart from producing the best law graduates, OAU also produces top graduates in other fields. OAU is also known to be one of the most competitive universities in Nigeria.

OAU came first in the 2019 “All university mooting competition”. A moot competition is an academic competition where law students compete with each other by arguing over a hypothetical case which had already been solved in court.

This university faculty of law, Obafemi Awolowo University, is one of the best places to study law in Nigeria.

OAU’s Faculty of Law offers 4 undergraduate law programs:

  • Department of Business Law
  • Department of International Law
  • Department of Jurisprudence and Private Law
  • Department of Public Law

4. University Of Ibadan (UI)

The University of Ibadan is the first premier university in Nigeria, it was established in 1948 as University College Ibadan. The University of Ibadan has been ranked as one of the best universities to study many professional courses including law.

UI is also known as a college that has the highest number of first-class law graduates in Nigerian Law Schools. The University of Ibadan has never been at the bottom of any legal competition in Nigeria.

5. University Of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)

The University of Nigeria located in Nsukka, Enugu State was established in 1960, the same year Nigeria gained its independence.

UNN’s Faculty of Law is the oldest faculty of Law in the country, this university since it inception has made many positive impacts on the Nigerian legal system. Choosing to pursue a law degree in this university is not a bad idea.

6. University Of Benin (UNIBEN)

The University of Benin is one of the first-generation public research universities in Nigeria. The university was established in 1970, some ten years after Nigeria gained its independence.

UNIBEN’s faculty of law is well recognized and holds accreditation from Nigerian University Commission (NUC).

UNIBEN’s Law Faculty has a lot of important and well-recognized alumni including Iyom Josephine Anenih, a one-time minister for Women Affairs of Nigeria, and Babatunde Raji Fashola, the former governor of Lagos state.

7. University Of Calabar (UNICAL)

The University of Calabar was originally a campus of the University of Nigeria, it was later re-established as a fully-fledged university in 1975.

The Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar was established in September 1980, it started legal education with two departmental courses; Private Law and Public and International Law. Today, the University of Calabar is a must check-out when it comes to the best universities to study Law in Nigeria.

8. University of Jos (UNIJOS)

The University of Jos was originally established as a campus of the University of Ibadan and was converted into a full-fledged university in 1975.

The University of Jos started teaching law as a separate discipline in 1976/77, and the university admitted its first set of law students in 1992.  University of Jos’s Faculty of Law was officially established in 1980. The University of Jos’s law faculty offers one of the best law education in Nigeria.

UNIJOS’s Faculty of Law offers 4 undergraduate law programs:

  • Commercial Law
  • Public Law
  • Private Law
  • International Law and Jurisprudence

9. Ahmadu Bello University, Abu, Zaria

Ahmadu Bello University is located in Zaria, Kaduna State, it was established in 1962, and the university was named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first premier of Northern Nigeria.

ABU is one of the most competitive universities in Nigeria and one of the top universities to pursue a law degree. Students from ABU represented Nigeria at the Sherman and Sterling International Round of the Philip C. Jessup competition in Washington DC, United States in 2005.

10. Covenant University (CU)

Covenant University located in Ogun State was established in 2002 by the Living Faith Church A.K.A Winners Chapel. This university offers the best education in all the courses they offer including Law.

In 2018, the National Universities Commission (NUC) named Covenant University as the best private institution in Nigeria and the 6th best university overall. Covenant University is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Association of African Universities, and the National Universities Commission.