The Nigeria Association of Law Teachers (NALT) has advocated for more slots in the annual awards of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank to lawyers.
The SAN rank is a prestigious honour awarded to lawyers who have excelled in either the advocacy or academic categories. Typically, a larger number of lawyers receive the SAN designation in the advocacy category, often in multiples, compared to those awarded under the academic category.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this was the unanimous agreement of the association at the 2024 Annual Conference of NALT held at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The theme of the conference is entitled, “Law, Democratic Consolidation and National Development”.
Speaking at the programme, the national president of the association, Prof Nimah Abdulraheem, decried the small representation of law educators among SANs.
“Our collective commitment to advancing legal education and the rule of law has driven NALT’s progress for more than half a century,” she said.
She rued over the challenges faced by law teachers through limited recognition within the legal profession.
According to her, the association will take all necessary steps to ensure that invaluable contributions of members of the association are recognised.
In his goodwill message, the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, a SAN, stressed the need for electoral reforms and advocated for the use of digital platforms to enhance transparency in Nigeria’s elections.
Fagbemi, who was represented by Oluocha Anyaoku, a professor and the Institute Librarian at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos, emphasised the need to balance global economic partnerships with national interests.
He noted the significance of these discussions for Nigeria’s democratic future.
Speaking earlier, the vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof Wahab Egbewole, expressed pride in hosting the gathering.
“With your research and dedication, you continue to make things better,” he said.
NAN
