Brief History of the Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law of Olabisi Onabanjo University was founded in 1983 to train and develop high-quality manpower that would be relevant in diverse areas of Law.  Law students were initially housed in the Abusi Edumare, Ijebu-Igbo Annex of the then Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye).  At that time, law students attended classes with the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences Students.

From Ijebu-Igbo, law students were moved to Ago-Iwoye, in Ago-Iwoye, the Faculty of Law was initially located at the Oke-Odo Annex of the University.  The Oke-Odo Annex had four rooms – two lecture rooms, one room which served as the Dean’s office, and one room which all the Law Lectures used as their office.  The Law Library was then at the Mini Campus, which was about a 10 – 13 minutes, walk from the Oke-Odo Annex.  The Oke-Odo Annex building is now used as the Community Health Centre.

The Faculty of Law moved from the Oke-Odo Annex after a few years to the Mini Campus of the University.  It contained the Dean’s office and an anteroom, two Departmental offices with anterooms, and lecturers’ offices.  The Law Library was on the Mini Campus for the use of the Law Students. The Faculty of Law was in the Mini campus for decades until it was moved to the Main Campus in the year 2008.  The Mini Campus is now occupied by the Centre for Continuing Education (CCED).

The Faculty of Law is now comfortably sited on the Main Campus.  It has a faculty building that house four Departmental offices, the Dean’s Office, the lecturer’s offices, the Board Room etc.  There is also a unique Law Library which is less than a minute’s walk from the Faculty Building.  Law Lecture Theatres are also located within the faculty premises.  Tutorial rooms, the Postgraduate Programme Office, and the Staff Common Room are all located within the Law Lecturer Theatre building. 

The University Management cited a Tetfund Building on the Faculty of Law Premises which houses the Dean’s office, Faculty office, Faculty Administrative offices, Professors offices, and a Lecture Theatre.

An illustrious alumnus of the Faculty, Dr. Asekun, donated to the faculty of Law, a resource Centre that comprises of Moot Courts, a Law Alumni office, and other offices.

The faculty grew from two Departments (Public Law and Jurisprudence and Private and Commercial Law) to four Departments.  These are: – Private Law; Public Law; Jurisprudence and International Law and Business and Industrial Law Departments.  The Faculty of Law has been accredited by the Regulatory authorities in Nigeria i.e. The Council of Legal Education in Nigeria and the National Universities Commission.

The need to encourage specialization and promote in-depth research activities brought about the introduction of the Master of Laws (LL.M) Degree program in 2001 and the Ph.D. program in May 2016.  Success and growing popularity have so far been achieved in the program.  In 2015, the Postgraduate Diploma in Law program began in the Faculty of Law.

The Faculty through the Centre for Continuing Education (CCED) runs an Advance Diploma in Law Programme.

Some of the products of the Faculty of Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University are making waves in the Legal Profession within and outside the Country. It has produced distinguished and honorable members of the National and State Houses of Assembly, Members of various State executive councils, eminent Jurists, renowned academicians and scholars, Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other eminent lawyers, Corporate and Business Titans, Business persons, Tech entrepreneurs, educators, civil servants, farmers, philanthropists, etc.

It is imperative to mention that our Law Students keep distinguishing themselves at Law School. Some graduated with First Class and others with good grades.

The faculty is moving on and keeps standing out among others and will continue to soar higher and higher.