Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Sixteen law faculties from universities across the Niger Delta are competing in the 2026 Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Annual Moot Court and Mock Trial Competition, with stakeholders stressing the importance of practical legal training in preparing young lawyers for the challenges of the region.
Declaring the competition open in Port Harcourt, Chairman of the NDDC 7th Governing Board, Chiedu Ebie, said the commission’s continued investment in the competition was driven by its strategic role in building the confidence and advocacy skills of young legal minds.
Ebie said moot court competitions provided law students with opportunities to develop courtroom presentation and advocacy skills while gaining practical experience beyond the classroom.
“It is our expectation that this competition lays the foundation for the advocacy skills these young legal minds will need to draw attention to the challenges of our region, even at this early stage of their careers,” he said.
The NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, said the competition had been held for the third consecutive year under his stewardship, describing it as part of the commission’s commitment to educational and human-capacity development in the Niger Delta.
Represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, Ogbuku said feedback from previous editions had demonstrated the importance of moot trials in equipping law students and aspiring lawyers with knowledge, advocacy skills and practical experience.
He noted the competition was particularly relevant because participants were required to interrogate legal issues connected to the socio-economic and environmental challenges of the Niger Delta and propose legal solutions.
Ogbuku further urged legal education stakeholders in the region to adapt curricula to emerging global realities, including energy transition and the rapid development of artificial intelligence.
He said the NDDC would continue to support strategic educational interventions capable of positioning young people from the region to compete globally.
Also speaking, the 30th President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, commended the NDDC for sustaining the initiative, describing investment in young people in the legal profession as one of the most meaningful investments in the future of the region.
Akpata appealed to the NDDC Governing Board to revive the Memorandum of Understanding between the commission and the NBA, assuring that the association was ready to deepen its collaboration with the NDDC.
He urged universities to establish and strengthen moot courts as a core component of legal education, arguing that practical advocacy skills remained indispensable despite advances in artificial intelligence.
“Most arguments can now be done by machine. But the ability to stand in court and argue what you did not anticipate is what the machine cannot do for you,” he said.
A retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Chairperson of the Rivers State University Governing Board, Justice Mary Odili, urged participants to treasure the experience gained from the competition, noting that the lessons would remain valuable throughout their professional careers.
The Director, Legal Services of the NDDC, Victor Arenyeka, said the annual competition exposed students to topical issues in environmental law, oil and gas law, petroleum industry legislation and sustainable development.
He added the programme promoted teamwork, networking, intellectual development and regional integration among participating universities.