President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote as Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, making her the first woman to head the institution since it was established in 1962.
The appointment, which takes effect on January 10, 2026, is for a four-year term, according to a State House press release signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on January 6.
Dr. Odusote, 54, will succeed Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, whose tenure expires on January 9, 2026, after eight years in office. The presidency said Chiroma’s term ends “after eight years of service.”
Currently, Odusote serves as Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Law School and Head of its Lagos Campus, one of the institution’s busiest centres for professional legal training.
The Nigerian Law School is responsible for the mandatory vocational training of law graduates before they are called to the Nigerian Bar, making its leadership central to the standards and administration of legal education in the country.
Dr. Odusote earned her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. She also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the same institution, where she specialised in company and commercial law. She later obtained a doctorate in law from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, with research interests in public law and the administration of justice.
According to the release, Odusote joined the Nigerian Law School in 2001 as a lecturer and has since held several academic and administrative positions. These include Head of the Academic Department, Director of Academics, and Head of Campus.
She also had a stint as a visiting scholar at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom, the statement said.
Over the course of her career, Odusote has published academic papers in local and international law journals and presented research at legal education conferences. She has also served on committees of the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Bar Association.
“As Director-General, Odusote will be responsible for the institution’s overall academic leadership, administrative management, and strategic direction across all campuses,” the presidency said. It added that she will also act as “the primary liaison between the school, the Council of Legal Education, the Body of Benchers, and the Nigerian Bar Association.”
Her appointment comes at a time when Nigeria’s legal education system continues to face scrutiny over capacity, examination standards and the growing number of law graduates seeking admission to the Bar, placing the Nigerian Law School at the centre of ongoing professional and policy debates.
