…Inaugurates LOC for 56th Conference
… intending participants tasked on early registration
The Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) has set the stage to raise the standards with the aim of creating more opportunities for Law teachers in Nigeria using the 56th Annual Conference as the launch pad.
This formed the crux of the considerations as, the association commenced serious preparations towards hosting a robust conference, devoid of unnecessary hiccups with the inauguration of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) by the Chairman of the 56 NALT Conference and Dean Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu.
The LOC which is headed by the Head of Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, UNIABUJA, Dr. Eugene Okolocha, is expected to put all machinery in motion to ensure a well organised 56th NALT conference. Membership of the Committee was drawn from Law lecturers from the University of Abuja, other Law Faculties within Abuja and other States like Nasarawa and Taraba.
In his opening remark at the inauguration ceremony, held recently at the Boardroom of the Faculty of Law University of Abuja, Prof. Abugu, relayed the goodwill messages from the Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, Prof. Aisha Sani Maikudi and the President of NALT and the Dean Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Professor Simisola Akintola, stating that both of them were committed to giving their best to ensure that the 56th edition of the conference is held successfully.
While charging the LOC not to leave any stone unturned to deliver the best Conference in the history of NALT, Abugu said the decision to host the conference in Abuja was a unifying move to bridge regional divides and acknowledgement of UNIABUJA’s potential to host such an event at the national centre.
He said the 56th conference will build on the successes of the 55th edition which is adjudged “Better by Far” assuring that Abuja 2025 will be ” Better than the Best”
He expressed confidence that the Abuja conference would beat all the records of the past in terms of number of attendance, hospitality and quality sessions. However, he admitted that the task ahead is huge but said it can be surmounted with dedication and commitment of the members of the LOC individually and collectively.
“I am not in doubt that the 56th NALT conference will attract the highest number of participants but the time for all of us to buckle up to host the highest number of attendees is now. We should not forget that accessibility will not be a problem from anywhere in the country because Abuja is as close to anybody as the next Airport. To this end, we must project well and ensure everybody gives his or her best to get the required result.”
“To me, if this conference has been held for 56 years and Abuja is hosting for the first time, we don’t have any excuse to fail because we have all attended one or two editions and have seen the good, the bad and the ugly, ours must be the best.” Abugu said.
The Keynote Speaker at the event, who is also the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Prof Abdulkadir Abikan, tasked the Committee on the need for early preparation to enable them cover necessary grounds before the commencement of conference, adding that experience has shown that fire brigade approach can only lead to an undignified event.
Speaking from his experience as a former Chair of the LOC in a previous conference, Abikan said the success of the upcoming Conference depends largely on quality preparation, networking and early registration by intending participants, which he said would enable the Local Organizing Committee to work ahead with the required data that would ease their plans for an unforgettable experience.
He said, “Much as I agree that the 56th NALT Conference could raise the bar and set a new standard, the wish must be backed by actions from various stakeholders, majorly the LOC and the intended participants.”
Abikan said, “Members of the LOC should first appreciate the fact that they have time to plan and network because it’s necessary they reach out to individuals and organisations who will be willing to rally support for the conference.”
And to the intending participants, he said: “They should not wait till the eleventh hour before registering for the conference. In the just concluded conference in Ilorin, despite being considered by stakeholders as one of our best outings so far, late registration still caused unnecessary challenges on the opening ceremony day.
Those who want to attend this year’s Conference should register as soon as possible to enable the LOC plan ahead, especially with regard to accommodation, conference materials and other logistics.”
While sharing their experiences from the just concluded conference, some of the lecturers in attendance urged the LOC to urgently create a web-based information portal for the 2025 edition to enable interested participants access to useful information.