Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-West Zone, and the National Association of University Students (NAUS) have secured a comprehensive resolution with Atiba University, Oyo State, following a 10-year moratorium imposed on its law programme by the Council of Legal Education (CLE). The agreement, reached after a meeting between the student bodies and the university management on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, outlines a clear path for affected law students—offering full tuition refunds, transfer opportunities to other institutions, and a pathway to the Nigerian Law School for those who choose to remain.
The crisis erupted after the CLE imposed a decade-long ban on Atiba University’s law programme, citing “inappropriate and inadequate” facilities for the establishment and operation of a Faculty of Law. The council also accused the institution of violating its admission policy by admitting and graduating students without obtaining the requisite approval. The decision left hundreds of law students in limbo, unable to proceed to the Nigerian Law School or continue their legal education at the institution.
Following the CLE's decision, NANS and NAUS convened an emergency meeting with the university's management to demand immediate action. The resolution, signed by NANS South-West Deputy Coordinator Ridwan A.O.A. and NAUS CMC Chairman Salam Waris Abioye, detailed a series of commitments from the university. Students who wish to withdraw from the institution and seek a refund of their tuition fees will receive their payments within two weeks. The university has also agreed to facilitate transfers for affected students, with three institutions already indicating their readiness to accommodate them—two universities for 100 and 200-level students, and one institution ready to accept students across all levels, subject to accommodation availability. The transfer process is expected to commence within two months.
For students who intend to continue their legal education, the university has made arrangements for them to pursue a pathway to the Nigerian Law School after completing their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. According to the resolution, the university has liaised with another institution to create a pathway for these students to subsequently proceed to law school after their NYSC exercise. Students requiring academic transcripts have been urged to submit their requests immediately, with the university assuring that the documents would be processed and sent without delay. Students experiencing problems with their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admission letters have also been directed to submit their details for the university to begin resolving the issues. Additionally, students who wish to remain at Atiba University but change their courses will be accommodated.
The vice-chancellor of Atiba University, Professor Sunday Okeniyi, had earlier assured affected students that the institution would assist them in securing admission to other universities, refunding their tuition fees, or providing their academic transcripts. He stated that the university had compiled a list of affected students and their respective levels for submission to the relevant authorities. “Whoever wants a refund, we refund,” Okeniyi said, adding that students who preferred to continue their education elsewhere would be assisted with obtaining their transcripts and transferring to another institution.
The intervention followed weeks of protests and growing anxiety among affected students and parents, some of whom had called for government intervention and the transfer of students to accredited institutions. NANS had previously issued a seven-day ultimatum to the university management, demanding the immediate resolution of regulatory challenges surrounding its law programme. The student body had also backed protesting law students and demanded sanctions against the institution. The CLE’s decision to impose the moratorium was part of resolutions adopted at the council’s third-quarter hybrid meeting held on August 13, 2026, at the headquarters of the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, Abuja.
NANS and NAUS have pledged to closely monitor the implementation of the agreements reached with the university. “NANS and NAUS will continue to closely monitor and follow up on every agreement reached to ensure that all commitments are fulfilled within the timelines agreed upon,” the resolution stated. The student bodies emphasised that the welfare and academic future of the affected students remained their priority.
For the hundreds of law students whose academic futures were thrown into uncertainty by the CLE's decision, the agreement offers a measure of relief. The two-week timeline for refunds, the two-month window for transfers, and the alternative pathway to the Nigerian Law School provide concrete options for students to salvage their legal education. However, the success of the agreement will ultimately depend on the university’s ability to deliver on its commitments within the agreed timelines—and on NANS and NAUS’s determination to hold the institution accountable. As the affected students begin the process of deciding their next steps, the resolution marks a critical turning point in a crisis that has exposed deep flaws in the regulation of legal education in Nigeria.
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