Graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Wednesday protested at the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation in Abuja.
The protesters said more than 4,000 qualified NOUN law graduates have been denied admission into the Nigerian Law School since 2020.
They carried out the protest under the umbrella of the Backlog of NOUN Law Graduates.
The demonstration came two days after a similar protest at the National Assembly.
The graduates urged the Federal Government to intervene and end what they described as years of injustice.
The group’s National President, Adefowora Adedeji, said the refusal to admit eligible graduates has caused financial hardship and emotional distress.
He said many affected graduates have also suffered career stagnation.
Adedeji stated that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had accredited NOUN’s law programme.
He added that earlier sets of NOUN law graduates were admitted into the Nigerian Law School through a special arrangement.
However, he said graduates from 2019 to 2024 have remained excluded.
According to him, the continued refusal violates their constitutional rights and amounts to discrimination.
He argued that the 2018 amendment to the NOUN Act removed all legal obstacles to their admission.
The protesters called on the Council of Legal Education, the Nigerian Law School, the Federal Ministry of Education, Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, and President Bola Tinubu to admit all backlog graduates into the 2026/2027 session.
Adedeji said they do not want another academic session to pass without admitting qualified NOUN graduates.
He disclosed that the association has submitted nearly 50 petitions to government institutions without success.
He warned that nationwide protests would begin across the 36 states and the FCT if the issue remains unresolved.
Adedeji blamed the prolonged crisis on disagreements between NOUN and the Council of Legal Education.
He insisted the graduates should not continue to suffer because of disputes between government agencies.
He also accused the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Emeka Ngege (SAN), of refusing to admit over 4,000 qualified graduates.
According to him, the prolonged delay has affected the health of many graduates, while the association’s treasurer reportedly died after developing hypertension linked to the unresolved situation.
