Osinbajo Drops Bombshell, Says "Nigeria's Legal System is on the Brink of Collapse," Calls for Revamp of Legal Education System

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has dropped a bombshell about Nigeria’s legal profession, warning that it is on the brink of collapse due to entrenched corruption, ethical violations, calling for a revamp of the legal education system in the country.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) reports as gathered that the former Nigerian Vice President dropped the revelatory bombshell while speaking at the 2025 Law Week Plenary Session of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, held at the Nigerian Content Tower in Bayelsa State on Friday.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria bemoaned the negative public perceptions attached to both the Bar and Bench in the country.

According to him: “The legal profession is crumbling under the weight of corruption, ethical violations, and poor standards.

“Stories of counsel acting as conduits for bribing judicial officers are rife. The perception that our system of justice is corrupt and that both the Bar and Bench are culpable is damaging enough.”

Speaking on the sub-theme, “The Legal Profession: A Vision for a New Era,” Osinbajo stressed the urgency of reform in a rapidly changing world, shaped by technological advancements and global transformation. He warned that the legal field is at a critical crossroads.

Osinbajo said: “Our profession needs a new vision, a new set of tools in a new era. We are in a vastly different time than when many of our legal tools and traditions were designed.

He also admitted that "Technology is now doing things faster, more accurately, and without fatigu, unlike human lawyers.”

He further pointed out that artificial intelligence and legal tech are fast replacing basic legal tasks like research, analysis, and opinion writing, adding that, 

“The systems don’t get tired, don’t ask for leave or extra pay. A big part of our cake has already been eaten by technology, and more will be bitten off very quickly."

He revealed that the legal profession is no longer the gatekeeper of legal reasoning or knowledge.

He also mphasized that, "Machines can already find the law and summarize it better. Lawyers must now focus on what AI can not do—ethical judgment, client advocacy, and interpreting what ought to be done.”

Proferring a possible future strategy for repositioning the legal system, he called for an urgent revamp of legal education in Nigeria, advocating a curriculum that integrates modern technological realities like AI literacy, data science, and cross-disciplinary training into it.

Predicting trends in the sector, Osinbajo said, "AI systems will increasingly take over legal tasks. The value of human lawyers must shift to higher-order thinking, ethical decision-making, and interpreting the law in the client’s best interest."