UNILAG, University of Dundee launch first joint masters in Nigeria

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Under the arrangement, admitted students—typically law graduates and practising legal professionals—begin the programme at UNILAG, where they complete the first six months of coursework in Nigeria.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has strengthened its position as a leading centre of research, human capital development and international collaboration with the launch of a landmark joint Master of Laws (LLM) programme in partnership with the University of Dundee (UoD), United Kingdom.

The initiative, the first joint master’s programme between a Nigerian university and a UK institution of comparable standing, places UNILAG firmly on the global map of advanced legal education. Designed to international standards, the programme enables students to earn LLM degrees from both universities through a structured, transnational course of study.

Under the arrangement, admitted students—typically law graduates and practising legal professionals—begin the programme at UNILAG, where they complete the first six months of coursework in Nigeria. They then proceed to the University of Dundee to complete the final six months of their studies in the UK. Successful candidates graduate with certificates awarded by both institutions.

As a new, fair pathway to global legal expertise, the UNILAG–UoD joint LLM offers a refreshing and accessible structure for students seeking advanced legal training. Unlike traditional foreign programmes that uproot students completely, the joint LLM model, as operated by the two universities, allows the students to draw from the strengths of both institutions while keeping their academic foundation firmly rooted in Nigeria. At the end of the programme, students will have gained a rich combination of perspectives from the global north and the global south. This balanced intellectual exposure is essential for today’s legal landscape.

The Joint LLM programme was formally launched at the British Council, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, marking a historic milestone in UK–Nigeria academic collaboration. It reflects a growing emphasis on equitable global partnerships in higher education and responds to the increasing demand for internationally competitive legal training rooted in local realities.

Speaking at the launch, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, described the programme as a transformative step for legal education in Nigeria.

“The Joint LLM between the University of Lagos and the University of Dundee creates a pathway for our students to engage with complex legal and ethical issues from diverse perspectives while remaining grounded in African realities,” she said. “This partnership strengthens our commitment to producing lawyers who are globally competent yet deeply attuned to the needs of their societies.

“It reflects UNILAG’s broader vision of reimagining partnerships built on mutual respect, co-creation and shared responsibility. The future of learning lies in collaboration rather than competition, and through this initiative, our students and faculty gain access to new research frontiers and global networks.”

Professor Nigel Seaton, Interim Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee, described the programme as a significant milestone in the university’s engagement with Africa.

“The Joint LLM is a milestone not only in the University of Dundee’s commitment to Africa but also in advancing equitable educational partnerships that expand access to high-quality education,” he said. “Partnering with the University of Lagos for our first joint master’s programme in Africa was a natural choice, given our strong academic ties and the presence of Dundee alumni within UNILAG’s Faculty of Law.

“Students will benefit from advanced legal instruction informed by perspectives from both the Global South and Global North, before joining our vibrant community of over 2,000 alumni in Nigeria, many of whom are leaders in key sectors, particularly energy.”

To mark the completion of the first six months of study at UNILAG and ahead of the students’ transition to Dundee, a send-off dinner was held on Thursday, 15 January 2026, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The send-off event, attended by senior academics and university officials, underscored UNILAG’s growing role as a hub for globally connected education and its commitment to producing graduates equipped to compete and lead on the international stage.

Speaking with journalists at the event, Professor Dayo Ayoade, Professor of Energy Law and Coordinator of the Joint LLM Programme, said, “The joint LLM between the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos and University of Dundee started in 2019 when some of my colleagues and I organised a training on oil and gas law in Abuja. It was a successful event and, from there on, conversations started about looking to develop an international partnership on the LLM programme, a joint LLM programme, so to speak. COVID-19, of course, interrupted, but from 2021, 2022 we had very serious engagement with our collaborator, Professor Peter McEleavy, of the University of Dundee, and we then started more seriously looking at how to deliver this programme. Happily, there is an MoU between the University of Lagos and the University of Dundee. Leveraging that MoU, we reached a further agreement on this joint LLM, and that’s where it really started.

“I have been in it, from the inception, I have been involved in it when it was starting with our three deans of law: Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, Professor Ige Bolodeoku, who is here and currently Professor Abiola Sanni (SAN) and I have been consistently there as well as Dr. Toyin Adejonwo Oso to deliver this very important project.”

In his own submission, Professor Ige Bolodeoku, former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos and founding member of the project team, said, “This Joint LLM means that the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, is a stakeholder in terms of teaching, and also our sister institution in Dundee will be a stakeholder. So, students will start here for one semester, because the LLM is supposed to be a two-semester programme. After completing what will be the equivalent of the second semester, they will be done at the University of Dundee.”

Fielding questions from journalists, Professor Ismail Ibraheem of the Mass Communication Department and UNILAG’s Director of Office of Global Engagement and Strategic Partnerships said, “At the University of Lagos, we were very intentional about internationalisation. We realised that the university’s future relevance will be determined by its commitment to research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and internationalisation.

“We were, therefore, determined to produce at the University of Lagos students who are globally competitive, students who would be trained in Nigeria and can work anywhere in the world as global citizens. We are therefore taking conscious effort to internationalise our curriculum. We have to run courses that will be relevant not only in Nigeria but also in other countries.”

Professor Abiola Sanni (SAN), Dean of the Faculty of Law University of Lagos, said, “I’m excited that we have come this far and I give kudos to all those who have worked on this, including my predecessor, Processor Ige Omotayo Bolodeoku, the Director of our International Partnership, Professor Ismail Ibraheem, the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, the Dean of Postgraduate School, and I must thank the Coordinator, who is an alumnus of University of Dundee our Deputy Coordinator that is the person of Dr. Toyin Adejonwo Oso, for all the hard work he did. So I’m excited that this is happening in my time. The Bible says when the righteous are in power, the people rejoice”. It is a good development and I’m extremely glad.”

On the nature of certificates from both universities, home and abroad, Professor Sanni said, “They are going to get two certificates, but they are not going to get our certificate here yet until they complete the whole programme. We are laying the foundation upon which the University of Dundee will build, and they receive the two certificates when they satisfy all the graduation requirements for both institutions. There is no way they would spend three months here and still be certified as LLM holders. So, they have to complete the cycle.”

Asked if the two certificates within one programme will not be the same, the Dean of the Faculty of Law said, “No. If there are two certificates, they will not be the same. They will have two certificates: one from UNILAG and the other from the University of Dundee. So they are two separate certificates but for the same programme.

“So, it’s like what we say: ‘Buy one, get one free. So it is exciting. It is a double blessing, and one of the pioneer students is Blessing.”

Speaking on behalf of other students, one of them simply identified as Blessing said, “The joint LLM is a dream come through for me because for short period, I have been able to gain so much, the view of having people in the world, I mean I am a Nigerian mixed with UK within a year I’m done, means something to me. There is always this problem of having to go for my master’s in the UK, which is a long time for me. But now I have to do six months in Nigeria, then the remaining six months in the UK, it’s fine for me. It is really a dream come true for me to be earning two master’s certificates at the same time from the prestigious University of Lagos and the University of Dundee, programme within programme. It is a privilege to meet many well-refined professors who teach us personally, and you see so much enthusiasm in what they do. Honestly, I am so honoured, and I am so happy.”

The UNILAG–UoD joint LLM offers a refreshing and accessible structure for students seeking advanced legal training. Unlike traditional foreign programmes that uproot students completely, the joint LLM model, as operated by the two universities, allows the students to draw from the strengths of both institutions while keeping their academic foundation firmly rooted in Nigeria.