By Sodiq Adebara
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has called for the decolonisation and comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s justice administration to make it more reflective of the nation’s local realities and historical context.
Professor Osinbajo made the call while delivering his address at the Second Kwara State University (KWASU) Professor Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN Annual Law Lecture, held in Ilorin, Kwara State. The lecture was themed “Towards Decolonising Legal Briefs: Effective Implementation of the Local Content Law for the Benefit of Nigerian Lawyers.”
He noted that despite Nigeria’s political independence, the country remains bound by colonial legal legacies that continue to shape its judicial outlook and legal education.
Delivering the keynote lecture titled “The Brief or the Country — A Lesson in History and Memory,” human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, echoed Osinbajo’s sentiments. He stressed that any legal practice divorced from historical understanding is incomplete.
Professor Odinkalu, a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA, warned that Nigeria’s judiciary remains vulnerable to political interference, which undermines its independence and public trust.
He called for deliberate investment in strong and independent institutions, emphasizing that the rule of law cannot thrive in an environment where political actors manipulate judicial outcomes.
Speaking on Nigeria’s role in African leadership, Professor Odinkalu urged the country to take a more proactive stance in regional affairs, particularly in Sudan, where he noted that Nigeria has one of the largest diaspora populations. He traced this connection to the migration of members of the Muhammad Bello royal family from Sokoto to Sudan.
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of KWASU, Professor Shaykh-Lukman Jimoh, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to intellectual discourse, innovation, and academic excellence.
He praised the honouree of the lecture, Professor Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, describing him as a trusted ally of the university and a man of deep generosity who has handled numerous legal briefs for the institution pro bono.
Also speaking, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Yahyah Duro Hambali, explained that the annual lecture series was instituted in honour of Professor Ali for his immense contributions to the establishment and growth of the Faculty of Law and his philanthropic support for legal education in Nigeria.
Professor Hambali announced that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) had approved the 2024 intervention fund for the construction of a new Faculty of Law building, which will include a moot court, lecture theatres, an auditorium, and administrative offices.
While appreciating the personalities and the university for the honour, Professor Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, emphasized the need for a unifying national vision, lamenting that Nigeria’s sense of unity only seems to manifest during international football matches — fleeting moments that quickly fade afterward.
He urged Nigerians to confront the reality of systemic failures instead of romanticizing the past, noting that the country still exhibits all the parameters of national failure.
Edited by Azeezat Hambali
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