Law Courses in Nigerian Universities

Law Courses in Nigerian Universities. Many Nigerian universities offer law as a course of study. A few of these Nigerian universities are the University of Uyo, the University of Lagos, Anambra State University, Bown University, and Ajayi Crowther University, among others. 

To study law in Nigerian universities, you need to pass core subjects like English language, Commerce, Government, Literature-in-English, CRS, Agricultural Science, and Biology in your WAEC or NECO examination. Then, you will take the JAMB examination to get admitted to any Nigerian university of your choice that offers law. 

The duration for studying law in Nigerian universities is five years. In this article, I discuss law courses in Nigerian universities.

Law Courses in Nigerian Universities

Below here are the popular 14 law courses you can study in Nigerian Universities:

1. Administrative Law
2. Criminal Law
3. Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
4. Constitutional Law
5. Public International Law
6. Industrial/Labour Law
7. Law of Evidence
8. Law of Arbitration
9. Law of Torts
10. Law of Contract
11. Environmental and Planning Law
12. Law of Taxation
13. Conveyance Law
14. Law of Intellectual/Industrial Property

1. Administrative Law

Administrative law is a law course in Nigerian universities that will expose you to the administration and regulation of government agencies. It can be the state government or federal government.

Administrative law is also known as regulatory law. The purpose of this law is to guide you through the interests of the general public about the government. 

2. Criminal Law

Criminal law is another law course you can find in Nigerian universities. This law highlights the following: 

• Criminal offences,
• Regulation of arrest, 
• Charge and trial of suspected persons, and
• Consequences and penalties for convicted offenders. 

You will also learn about the two major types of criminal law, that is misdemeanors and felonies. 

The main aim of criminal law is to help guide a society from harmful actions to groups, social institutions, and individuals.

3. Jurisprudence and Legal Theory

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory is also one of the law courses in Nigerian universities. This course will expose you to the theoretical aspect of law. 

You will be taught about the nature of law. Also, you will better understand legal systems, legal reasoning, legal institutions, and the role of law in society.

4. Constitutional Law

Constitutional law is one of the top law courses in Nigerian Universities. This law can be either the law of the federal government or the state government. 

The constitutional laws of a government are practices, rules, and doctrines that guide the affairs of political communities. For example, the supreme law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives the constitutional law in Nigeria. 

5. Public International Law

Public international law is another interesting law course that you can learn in Nigerian universities. Under this course, you will learn the rules that guide the interaction between subjects of international law. These subjects are also participants in international relations. 

This law is also known as the Law of Nations. 

You will also learn the rules, norms, and standards that bind different states together. Public international law is well-known as the Law of Nations and is very good in different areas, including human rights, war, diplomacy, and economic relations.

6. Industrial/Labour Law

In the Industrial/Labour law at Nigerian universities, you will learn about the laws that guide the relationship between employees and employers in Nigeria. You will learn about the statutes, regulations and case law that show the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees.

The role of the industrial/labour law in Nigerian universities is to help safeguard the rights of workers, improve industrial harmony, and ensure fair employment practices in society. 

7. Law of Evidence

Law of Evidence is one of the law courses in Nigerian universities. In this course, you will learn about the legal principles of proofs in a legal proceeding. You will learn about the two types of legal proceedings:

• Direct evidence (for instance, when a witness testifies in court).
• Circumstantial evidence (like DNA test results and video recordings). 

8. Law of Arbitration

Law of Arbitration as a law course in Nigerian universities will help you to know the legal structure that improves the speed, duties, choices, and transparency of arbitral awards and mediation settlement agreements. 

In Nigeria, this law is run and managed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act (ACA). This Act covers the UNCITRAL Model Law of International Commercial Arbitration 1985.

9. Law of Torts

Under the Law of Torts course, you will learn about the laws that guide a break of civil duty forced by law and owed towards all persons in a society. 

The law of torts in Nigerian universities aims to discourage people from committing wrongs and taking unnecessary risks. Also, this law helps to compensate victims who have suffered from the harmful acts of the defendant. 

10. Law of Contract

Law of Contract is one of the law courses in Nigerian universities. Under this course, you will learn about the agreement that binds two parties.

Examples of the Laws of Contract in Nigeria include: 

• The Finance Act of 2021.
• The Companies and Allied Matters Act, of 2020.

11. Environmental and Planning Law

Environmental and planning law in Nigeria is simply a set of rules and regulations that protects the environment from pollution and the harmful depletion of natural resources, thereby, securing sustainable development. 

12. Law of Taxation

The Law of Taxation is a law course that will expose you to the rules and regulations that guide the collection, regulation, and management of taxes. 

Below here are some of the tax laws in Nigeria:

• Companies Income Tax Act, 
• Stamp Duties Act, 
• Personal Income Tax Act, 
• Capital Gains Tax Act, 
• Federal Inland Revenue Service Act, 
• Capital Gains Tax Act.

13. Conveyance Law

Conveyance law is a law course in Nigerian universities that will show you the legal requirements of establishing an ownership transfer of real property. This ownership is usually:

• Carried out in writing, 
• Signed by the parties involved, and 
• Stamped properly to be legally valid. 

Here are a few examples of conveyance law in Nigeria:

• Case law, 
• Customary law, 
• Received English law, and 
• Nigerian legislation. 

14. Law of Intellectual/Industrial Property

The Law of intellectual/industrial property is a law that protects the creation of the mind. This law prevents a person from reaping the creativity, human intellect, and inventiveness of another person. 

A few examples of laws of intellectual/industrial property in Nigeria include:

• Copyright Act Cap, 
• Patents and Designs Act Cap, 
• Trademarks Act Cap. 

Conclusion

There are so many law courses offered in Nigerian universities. Examples of these law courses include law of arbitration, administrative law, public international law, conveyance law, law of torts, law of taxation, and industrial/labour law. You can choose any law course of your choice and study at any Nigerian University. Best regards.