The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has given the green light to the establishment of new law faculties in five universities, increased student admission limits in four others, and sanctioned three institutions for breaching regulatory requirements.

The resolutions were taken at the Council’s first quarterly meeting for 2026 at the CLE headquarters in Abuja under the chairmanship of Chief Emeka Ngige’s (SAN). After conducting facility inspections and accreditation assessments, the Council approved the launch of law programmes in five universities, with each institution granted an initial intake quota of 50 students.

The newly accredited universities are Azman University, Kano State; Rayhaan University, Kebbi State; Confluence Univer- sity of Science and Technology, Kogi State; Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Imo State; and Ave-Maria University, Nasarawa State.

The CLE noted that the approvals followed satisfactory evaluations of the in- stitutions’ facilities, staffing, and overall compliance with required academic and professional standards. In addition, the Council approved in- creases in admission quotas for four exist- ing law faculties. Bayero University, Kano, received approval to admit up to 230 law students, while Madonna University, Okija, and Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, were each cleared to admit 100 students.

The University of Ilorin was also granted an expanded quota of 210 students. As part of its regulatory enforcement, the Council imposed a two-year moratorium on three universities found to have commenced law programmes without prior approval. The affected institutions are; Paul University, Awka; Clifford University, Owerri; and the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.

The Council further considered disciplinary issues, endorsing sanctions against students involved in examination malpractice during the July 2025 Bar Final Resit Examination, as well as disciplinary measures against staff implicated in mis- conduct. At the meeting, the CLE also approved a wide range of promotions within the Nigerian Law School system.

These included the elevation of five staff members to the positions of Director and Deputy Director, promotions for 34 academic staff, 136 administrative and technical staff, and the conversion or advancement of 42 personnel across various cadres.

The session marked the final Council meeting for the outgoing Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, whose eight-year tenure comes to an end on January 9, 2026.