By SUNTV Global Channel News Desk
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 | Abuja, Nigeria
Hundreds of graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest at the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in Abuja, demanding immediate admission into the Nigerian Law School after years of exclusion.
The protesters, operating under the umbrella of the Backlog of NOUN Law Graduates, said more than 4,000 qualified graduates have been denied admission into the Nigerian Law School since 2020 despite completing accredited law programmes.
The demonstration came just two days after a similar protest at the National Assembly, as the graduates intensified their calls for government intervention.
Speaking during the protest, the group’s National President, Adefowora Adedeji, described the prolonged delay as a major setback that has left thousands of graduates unable to pursue their legal careers. He said the situation has resulted in financial hardship, emotional distress and years of career stagnation.
According to the group, NOUN’s law programme is accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), while earlier sets of graduates were admitted into the Nigerian Law School under a special arrangement. However, graduates from the 2019 to 2024 sets have allegedly remained excluded from the mandatory professional training required to qualify as legal practitioners.
The protesters argued that the continued refusal to admit qualified graduates is unfair and called on the Council of Legal Education (CLE), the Nigerian Law School, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and President Bola Tinubu to ensure that all backlog graduates are included in the 2026/2027 Nigerian Law School academic session.
The association also revealed that it has submitted dozens of petitions to relevant government agencies and institutions over the past several years without a lasting resolution.
The graduates warned that if urgent action is not taken, they will expand their peaceful protests across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory until their demands are addressed.
The protest comes as successful candidates of the Nigerian Law School are currently being called to the Nigerian Bar during the ongoing 2026 Call to Bar ceremonies in Abuja.
The demonstrators maintained that they are not seeking special treatment but equal access to the professional legal training required of every qualified law graduate in Nigeria.
