Artificial Intelligence, modern biotechnology, legal reform, and Nigeria’s national development will take centre stage at the 56th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT).
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu, Dean, Faculty of Law and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, said the conference is billed to hold from Oct. 26 to 30 in Abuja.
Abugu said noted that for the first time in its history, the prestigious conference of law academics from Nigerian universities would be hosted by the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja.
The theme of the conference is “Law, National Development and Economic Sustainability in a Globalised World”.
According to him, the theme reflects a bold attempt by law teachers to provide fresh legal perspectives to some of Nigeria’s most pressing developmental challenges.
“This conference aims to give voice to critical reforms and emerging issues that affect Nigerians.
“”Our focus is not only on discussion but on pushing for urgent policy and curriculum changes that can accelerate national development.”
He explained that the conference would explore how law teaching and legal scholarship could respond to Nigeria’s complex realities including corruption, insecurity, weak institutions, and the lack of access to quality education.
He emphasised that the legal community must begin to embrace emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and biotechnology to make law teaching more responsive to the needs of society and aligned with global trends.
“We believe law teaching can play a transformative role. For example, anti-corruption education, ethics in legal training, and tech-driven legal instruction can help tackle issues like corruption and brain drain,” he said.
Abugu also explained that the conference would advocate for curriculum reforms that make legal education more relevant and practical, with technology integration improving access to legal training.
Other areas of focus he said were capacity building for law teachers through continuous professional development and partnerships and collaborations with legal institutions and industries to enhance skill-based learning.
He noted that through these approaches, Nigerian law faculties could contribute meaningfully to national policy, social justice, and economic growth.
He further said that the conference would feature keynote speakers including senior academics, judges, and policymakers with plenary sessions, paper presentations, and panel discussions on AI, biotechnology, environmental law, and human rights.(NAN)
