Ayoade: How UNILAG’s Joint LLM with Dundee Will Shape Globally Competitive Lawyers

As legal practice becomes increasingly global, the University of Lagos and the University of Dundee have introduced the first joint LLM degree between a Nigerian and a UK university. In this interview with Funmi Ogundare, Head of UNILAG’s Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, and Professor of Energy, Extractives and Governance Law, Dayo Ayoade discusses how the programme will prepare Nigerian lawyers for global legal practice, while emphasising the importance of investment in higher education, institutional reforms and strategies to address brain drain and drive national development

As the legal profession continues to evolve in response to globalisation, technological advancement and increasingly interconnected legal systems, universities are under pressure to produce graduates with international exposure, practical skills and the capacity to address complex cross-border challenges.

For Nigeria, this means going beyond producing competent lawyers to nurturing legal professionals who can compete globally while contributing meaningfully to national development.

It is this vision that inspired the pioneering Joint Master of Laws (LLM) programme between the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Dundee, Scotland, the first joint master’s degree between a Nigerian and a United Kingdom university.

Professor of Energy, Extractives and Governance Law at UNILAG and Head of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Dayo Ayoade, said the initiative was conceived to expose Nigerian students to international legal education without disconnecting them from their careers and the country’s development needs.

According to him, discussions on the collaboration began in 2019 following a successful joint legal training programme organised by both institutions.

“We wanted to move beyond occasional collaborations and create something more enduring. We initially considered a dual LLM before eventually agreeing on a joint degree programme,” he explained.

The initiative, however, required years of institutional engagement, regulatory approvals and the strengthening of an existing memorandum of understanding before it was formally launched. The agreement was eventually signed in October 2025 by the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, and the University of Dundee’s representative, Prof. Peter McLeivy, at the British High Commission.

Ayoade said the programme has already recorded its first success, with the pioneer cohort completing the Nigerian phase of their studies before proceeding to Scotland for advanced coursework and research. They have since returned to Nigeria to complete their dissertations under joint academic supervision. Unlike many international postgraduate programmes that often result in permanent migration, Ayoade stressed that the joint LLM was deliberately structured to strengthen Nigeria’s legal profession.

Describing it as not a ‘Japa’ programme, he explained that participants complete the bulk of their studies in Lagos while maintaining their professional careers, then spend about six months in Dundee on a visitor visa and return home to conclude their research. The programme also offers significant financial savings. At about £14,000, the tuition is considerably lower than the estimated £22,000 payable by international students enrolling directly for an LLM at the University of Dundee.

Beyond affordability, Ayoade said the greatest advantage lies in exposing students to both Nigerian and international legal systems.

“Our students are taught by academics from both universities. They experience different legal traditions and educational cultures while remaining connected to their professional lives in Nigeria,” he said.

The curriculum combines legal theory with practical application in areas such as comparative company law, constitutional law, taxation, secured credit transactions and energy resources law before students proceed to specialised courses at Dundee’s internationally recognised Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy.

Ayoade believes such collaborations are essential if Nigerian universities are to remain globally competitive.

“Legal education must evolve with the demands of the global market. Our institutions have to produce graduates who can compete internationally despite operating with fewer resources,” he said.

He pointed to the outstanding performance of UNILAG graduates at prestigious universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, as evidence of the quality of Nigerian students.

However, sustaining that excellence, he argued, requires stronger investment in higher education. While acknowledging the contributions of UNILAG’s alumni to the Faculty of Law, Ayoade called on government, the private sector and other stakeholders to increase support for universities through sustainable funding and improved infrastructure.

He also expressed concern over the increasing migration of skilled professionals, popularly known as the ‘Japa’ phenomenon, describing it as a major challenge for Nigeria’s higher education sector. According to him, many universities are losing talented young academics because of poor working conditions and inadequate funding.

Rather than attempting to stop migration entirely, he advocated policies to encourage professionals to return after gaining international experience.

“Migration is a reality. The priority should be creating an environment that attracts talented Nigerians back home,” he said.

For Ayoade, the future of Nigerian higher education depends on stronger institutions, sustainable funding and reforms that reward excellence, accountability and innovation. He maintained that Nigeria possesses abundant human capital but must create the right environment for that talent to thrive.

“The talent is here,” he said. “What remains is creating the conditions that will enable it to flourish and contribute to national development.”

During an information session on the collaborative programme, Ayoade mentioned that his years as a postgraduate student at the University of Dundee in the 1990s were life-changing despite the challenges international students faced at the time. The don stressed that studying abroad should not be viewed merely as an academic pursuit but as an opportunity for personal growth and cultural exchange.

“I did my master’s in 1994 and finally left Dundee around 2000. At that time, there were not as many Africans as there are today. The important thing when you go abroad is not just to focus on where you’re coming from. Embrace change, meet new people and enjoy the experience. One of the biggest things I gained from living in Dundee was making friends from all over the world; Asia, North America, South America and across Africa. Today, I can comfortably relate with people from virtually anywhere in the world,” he stressed.

He urged students to avoid isolating themselves while studying overseas, noting that interaction with people from different backgrounds broadens perspectives and builds lifelong networks.

“It is an exploration of your character. Don’t just hide in your room studying your books. You need to embrace cultural diversity and global experiences rather than focusing solely on academics. Go out, meet people and enjoy the experience,” he advised.

Providing further details on the Joint LL.M. programme, the head of department explained that students would undertake selected courses at UNILAG before proceeding to Dundee for the programme’s second phase. He listed courses available to participants, including comparative constitutional law and secured credit transactions, among others, from which students would select four before travelling to Scotland in January.

The law professor also disclosed that graduates of the programme would earn two separate degrees, one from the University of Lagos and another from the University of Dundee. He, however, clarified that students already enrolled in UNILAG’s conventional LL.M. programme cannot transfer completed courses into the Joint LL.M. because such flexibility is not currently permitted by the university’s postgraduate school.

According to him, although the arrangement is not yet possible, it is an issue that could be considered for future implementation as the programme evolves.