The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved a waiver of all fees for the Certificate of Occupancy for the Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, while also declaring an emergency on staff housing and infrastructure at the institution.
Wike made the announcement on Thursday during a meeting with the school’s management in Abuja, where he responded to concerns raised by the Director-General, Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote.
He expressed surprise that the institution had operated for years without formal land documentation after relocating to Bwari.
Describing the situation as part of a wider pattern affecting public institutions, the minister said his administration was working to correct such lapses.
He directed the Director of Lands to waive all processing fees and ensure the Certificate of Occupancy is delivered within one week.
The minister said, “We are going to waive the fee for the C of O for you immediately. But it is quite unfortunate that since the Law School moved to Bwari, it has not had a C of O. So you are occupying the institution without proper documentation.
“I would have expected that the first thing the government would have done when the school moved in was to issue a C of O to show that you are the rightful owner.”
Beyond the documentation issue, the minister outlined a series of measures aimed at addressing infrastructure deficits and overcrowding at the school.
Wike disclosed that 10 staff housing units have already been completed and are scheduled for commissioning as part of activities marking President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.
He added that an additional 10 units would be constructed using existing building designs to reduce costs and speed up delivery.
Wike added that work is also ongoing on two new hostels; one for male students and another for female students, to ease congestion on campus.
The minister further confirmed that he had approved funding for the construction of a new auditorium, expressing concern over delays by the contractor.
Wike said the interventions align with the broader agenda of the Tinubu administration to strengthen legal education and the judiciary, including ongoing efforts to provide residential facilities for judges.
Earlier, Odusote commended the minister for ongoing infrastructure development across the FCT and used the opportunity to draw attention to the Law School’s pressing challenges, including deteriorating facilities and inadequate infrastructure.
The Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School in Bwari serves as the headquarters of the mandatory vocational training institution for law graduates, following its relocation from Lagos in 1997.
As the final stage before Call to the Bar, the school has expanded into a multi-campus system to accommodate growing demand, with recent government interventions focused on improving student housing and learning infrastructure.
