Top 10 Universities That Offer Law In Nigeria Currently (2024)

Are you looking for the top 10 best universities to study law in Nigeria currently in this 2024? That means you are at the right place at the right time. Law is one of the most sort after courses in the country today and the trend has been like this for so long a time, ensuring that law ranks among the most competitive courses in Nigeria. The top universities that offer law in the country are some of the best, with the best law faculties that ensure students learn all there is to the law profession, graduating to become the best in their practice.

In order to study law at the university, most prospective law students must have been arts students at secondary school level and must have done well in their core arts subjects including the English Language which is very compulsory at O’Level, that is WAEC and NECO, though most schools prefer the former these days.

Once this is achieved, they then proceed to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examinations, UTME organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB. Ensure that your subject combinations for law are correct, else you will not be considered for admission.

Successful candidates who score 250 and above can proceed to write the post UTME at their various universities of choice and when they meet the requirements of their schools, they are given provisional admission to study law. In Nigeria, it takes a minimum of 5 years to study law at the faculty of law of their preferred schools.

Upon graduation, fresh law graduates are required to attend the Nigerian Law School for a period of one year after which they will be called to bar and become full fledged lawyers in the country.

In this article we have put together a comprehensive list of the top 10 best schools in Nigeria to study law. You can peruse through the list below.

TOP 10 UNIVERSITIES THAT OFFER LAW IN NIGERIA 2024: FULL LIST

The following are the 10 best universities to study law in Nigeria this 2024 in no particular order:

UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS (UNILAG)

The University of Lagos is a giant when it comes to the study of Law in Nigeria. Their Faculty of Law, is one of the best in the country and their teaching methods are very effective and efficient, ensuring that they produce law graduates who have indeed been found worthy in character and learning. Some of the best lawyers in Nigeria were produced by UNILAG and the school has continued to set high standards in the way they educate their students in the law discipline. The Faculty of Law at the University of Lagos was founded as far back as 1962, and it is one of the founding faculties of the varsity.

The LL.B. Programme at the Faculty of Law, UNILAG, prepares students for the legal profession and other various fields. The LL.B. degree is the basic requirement for entrance into the legal profession in Nigeria and it takes a minimum of 5 years to study Law in the country. In the first year at the University of Lagos, students take the course Legal Methods which introduces them to the methods of legal reasoning and legal research. Students are also required to take some non-law subjects that help to develop their understanding of society, strengthen their capacity for logical thinking, and equip them with computer use skills.

The remaining four years ensures that law students at the University of Lagos undertake and pass core law courses such as Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Law of Evidence, Land Law, Law of Equity and Trust, Commercial Transactions, Jurisprudence, to mention but a few. The LL.B. programme at UNILAG equips students on the application of legal principles and reasoning to hypothetical situations, employing high quality teaching to ensure that students are well tutored in the law discipline.

Apart from the core law courses, students are allowed to select elective courses that assist them in cultivating their interests, and to explore contemporary areas in law. There are currently 20 elective law courses at UNILAG that cover areas that are as diverse as law of Intellectual Property Law, Environmental Law and Oil and Gas Law. Students are also required to complete an independent research project (dissertation), which has to be presented as part of the requirements for completing the LL.B. Programme.

The LL.B. programme at UNILAG is accredited by the National Universities Commission, NUC and this enables students, on successful completion of the programme to go on to the Nigerian Law School training, which equips them to practice as Barristers and Solicitors. Having read this, if you are a prospective student of UNILAG, you will understand that studying law at this school is not child’s play and this should prepare your mind for serious work upon gaining admission into the university.

Departments at UNILAG include:

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

As aforementioned at the beginning of this article, you are required to pass JAMB comprehensively and get a score of at least 250 and above in order for UNILAG and other schools offering law to consider you for admission. Quite high and challenging for sure but it is just to ensure that only the best are selected and trained for the law practice.

UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN (UI)

The University of Ibadan is another top university to consider when you want to study law in the country. It is indeed one of the best universities in Africa. The ultra-modern law faculty at UI ensures a conducive learning environment for students and the faculty has produced some of the best lawyers in Africa. Departments at the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan include:

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

UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN (UNILORIN)

The Faculty of Law at the University of Ilorin is one of the leading law faculties in the country presently. It was founded in 1983 as a unit in the Department of Business Administration. Over the years, the Faculty has grown in leaps and bounds, standing on its own and attracting many prospective students from all over the country in pursuit of comprehensive law education. The Faculty of Law, UNILORIN has continued to strive to rank amongst leading faculties of law in the country. Both the Common Law and Common and Islamic law programmes were accredited by the NUC in 2005 and 2008 respectively and the Faculty was ranked third by the NUC in the 2004 Ranking of Nigerian Universities.

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA (UNN)

The Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria is situated at the Enugu Campus and it was established in September 1960 under the leadership of Professor G.M. Johnson as the first Dean and it is the first law faculty in the country. Over the years, the Faculty has produced over twelve thousand law graduates and a large number of postgraduates, many of who have attained leading positions in industry, institutions of higher learning, the judiciary and the legal profession. The beauty about UNN is that competition among the students is very high and this is quite healthy for anyone who really wants to excel while studying over there. Getting admission to study law at UNN isn’t child’s play and you must score very high in your UTME, above 250 in order to stand a chance.

Legal training in this Faculty seeks to give students an understanding of the following:

• The nature of law and its function both in the administration of justice and in the operation of the other activities of a modern state.
• The processes employed in determining what the law is and applying its rules to new situations.
• The organizing of the legal profession and the machinery of justice.
• The general principles of the more basic legal subjects.
• The relationship of law to the other social sciences and to the general framework of society.

Departments at the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus include:

• International and Comparative Law
• Commercial and Corporate Law
• Customary and Indigenous Law
• Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
• Property Law
• Public Law
• Private Law

OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY (OAU)

Obafemi Awolowo University is one of the top schools in the South-western part of the country as well as a leading university in Nigeria to study law. The school is highly competitive with very high standards as far as education is concerned in the country.

Departments that currently constitute the Faculty of Law at Obafemi Awolowo University include:

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

NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY (NAU)

The Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University began as a Department of Law under the Faculty of Social Sciences in the 1985/86 academic session. At the faculty of law, UNIZIK, students are taught the general principles of law in order to broaden their outlook and education, ensuring that upon graduation, they are highly qualified legal personnel in the society and the country at large.

Departments at the Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University include:

• Commercial and Property Law
• International Law
• Jurisprudence

NAU has a mini law court where students take a professional practice test and where the judiciary arm of their SUG congregate to discuss policies that affect students in the school.

CHUKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY (COOU)

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, formerly Anambra State University, has its law faculty situated at the Igbariam campus of the school. The law students at this university are very highly motivated and are always studying seeing that law is quite demanding, giving it maximum concentration in order to come out tops upon graduation. Apart from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, COOU is a top destination in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria where you can study law and get good value for your money. Their law faculty is very modern and it is conducive for learning.

UNIVERSITY OF JOS (UNIJOS)

University of Jos is a top ranking university in Nigeria and its Faculty of Law is among the best there is in the country. Students in the North and North-Central geopolitical zones of the country who wish to study law in Nigeria should think of UNIJOS and the quality of the education there.

The following departments make up the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos:

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

AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA (ABU)

ABU Zaria is one of the best universities in the country that teaches law. They have capable lawyers who are well trained and qualified to teach both English and Sharia law to their students. ABU is known for its excellent academic performance when it comes to law. Most especially Sharia laws and their students have been dominating that field. This university is one of the best places to study law in Nigeria.

The Faculty of law at ABU, Zaria offers:

• A curriculum that provides students with the critical foundation in Law, and also encompasses emerging issues in critical areas such as environment, health, intellectual property law, energy law, Islamic Law etc.
• Facilities featuring classrooms, theatres, modern moot court room, and extra-ordinary spaces for studying and building community.
• A wide array of clinical and probono programmes that encourage students to obtain hands-on experience and represent clients, under the supervision of experienced lawyers.
• A robust and timely postgraduate programmes – postgraduate diplomas, masters programme (M.A. and LL.M), MPhil and PhD.
• Over seven outlets for publishing peer review journal articles annually.

This faculty has produced so many Justices, Judges, Governors, Politicians and Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANS).

UNIVERSITY OF BENIN (UNIBEN)

Their Faculty of Law at the University of Benin is a very good faculty to study law in the country and it completes this list of top 10 universities in Nigeria that offer law. The school has produced some top personalities in Nigeria, most notably, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, a former Governor of Lagos State and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).