Tinubu Orders Inclusion Of NOUN Graduates In Law School And NYSC Programs

President Bola Tinubu

THE long-standing admission of NOUN Law graduates to Nigerian law schools for equal opportunity was also resolved by the President.

On Saturday, April 13, in Abuja, during his speech at the 13th convocation ceremony of NOUN, Tinubu disclosed the information.

Abdallah Adamu, the previous vice chancellor of NOUN, gave graduates in 2017 the assurance that they would soon be eligible to enrol in the Nigerian Law School and the NYSC.

“The fact is that the National University Commission law doesn't allow those who do part-time studies to do NYSC, and the original Act that established NOUN says we offer courses by correspondence, and that is the expression NYSC is using to say 'if it's a correspondence course, then it is part-time, if it's part-time, then the students are not eligible for NYSC,” Adamu said.

A few years later, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt dismissed a lawsuit filed by NOUN law graduates who wanted to be admitted to the Nigerian Law School.

On May 12, 2015, certain NOUN Law Department graduates filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the National University Commission (NUC), the Council of Legal Education, and NOUN for rejecting their admission to the law school.

The graduates sued the Nigerian Law School, requesting that the court order the relevant authorities to create a policy that would allow NOUN graduates to receive benefits from other law graduates.

However, President Tinubu announced the new policy through NUC Deputy Executive Secretary Biodun Saliu, who spoke on his behalf at the convocation. Saliu also stated that the opportunity falls within the legally permitted age range.

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He remarked: “With the changing demographics of our great nation, the government has recognised the importance of allowing NOUN graduates to participate in the NYSC scheme.

“The doors of the Law School are now open to the graduates, ensuring equal opportunities for all. Any remaining concerns or uncertainties should be promptly addressed by the Federal Ministry of Education.

“We will continue to do this in order to improve quality, access, and affordability.

“Government is, therefore, committed through the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC to provide the enabling environment to ensure a good delivery of this mode of education in Nigeria.”