R-L: Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr Umar Etsu Mohammed (left); Director General, Nigeria Law School, Bwari, Abuja, Isa Hayatu; Justice of Supreme Court of Uganda and Chairperson of the Committee, Lady Justice Mary Stella Arech Amoko during the Committee’s visit to the Ministry

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has assured Nigeria’s support and cooperation to the Institute of Law Development Centre, Uganda, of improving its legal profession.

Malami gave the assurance when a delegation of the Law Development Centre Management Committee paid a courtesy call to the Ministry.

The delegation led by Lady Justice Stella Arech Amoko,  Justice of Ugandan Supreme Court and Chairperson of the Committee were on a mission to Nigeria to learn best law practices to upgrade their legal profession to a better standard.

The Attorney General promised to support the delegation to understand the legal system through the Nigerian Law School.

According to him, “When you talk of learning and planning, we stand as a nation to learn from each party and that make collaboration fundamental and successful.”

Malami believed that the confidence placed in Nigeria and her support system is not misplaced, noting that it is a decision because of the development Nigeria has undergone with particular reference to Institutions, Policies etc.

‘’Our experience as a nation in terms of law and legal development is peculiar but the major undertone is to rise to the success which is rooted in legislation. So the starting point is for you to consider the possibility of acquiring the relevant legislation that constitutes the legal frame work of the basis operated as a nation.

“Nigeria Law School is an institution established by law which started as a single campus in Lagos and with manifesting challenges of increase in population, it called for decentralization. A legislation came in as well, which brought about additional campuses over time, thereby laying a legality of whatever related and made the expansion to multiple campuses”, he explained

Earlier, Uganda’s Justice of the Supreme Court and Chairperson of the Committee, Lady Justice Mary Stella Arech Amoko, explained that they were on learning, information sharing and fact- finding mission to Nigeria.

Arech Amoko noted that Nigeria and Uganda has a long history, citing that the first Attorney-General Uganda after Independence was a Nigerian, by name Sir Udo Udoma who left a record with a Portrait in the library.

In a statement by the Deputy Director, (Information), Mrs Ogundoro Modupe, she explained that the Committee were in Nigeria to learn a few things from Nigeria.

She added that the Institute, Law Development Center was established with the Act of Parliament with main purpose to train lawyers so that they could get the Upper or the Diploma in their profession which is equivalent to Nigeria Law School.

She said, ‘’The number of students kept increasing because the numbers of our university that are offering law keep increasing. I think is the same case here in Nigeria. So as a result, the facilities are getting stretched and the Lecturers are not enough and the funding is not enough’’.

The Director General, Nigeria Law School, Professor Isa Kayatu Chiroma, thanked the Attorney General for his warm welcome and assured his utmost assistance.