2026 NALT Conference: DELSU Law Dean, Prof. Beauty Alloh, Leads Faculty Delegation To UNIBEN

By Andrew Ejovwo Abuza

The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Oleh Campus, Professor Beauty Alloh, has led a delegation of faculty members to the 57th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT), hosted by the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin City, Edo State.

The five-day conference, themed “Legal Education, Emerging Technologies and the Challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals,” commenced on Sunday, October 18, 2026, with a cocktail party and was officially opened on Monday, October 19, at the Akin Deko Auditorium, Ugbowo Campus, UNIBEN.

The conference brought together members of the Bench and Bar, government officials, academics, students, media practitioners, community leaders and other invited guests to deliberate on emerging issues in legal education and the growing influence of technology on legal practice.

In his opening address, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and Dean of the Faculty of Law, UNIBEN, Professor Bright Bazuaye, welcomed participants on behalf of the host institution.

He highlighted the importance of the conference theme, particularly the relationship between legal technology and the Sustainable Development Goals, and assured participants that the gathering would be an exciting and intellectually rewarding experience.

The President of NALT, Professor John Oluwole Akintayo, also welcomed participants in his address on behalf of the association. His address highlighted strategic partnerships, developments in legal education and institutional frameworks underpinning the conference.

The programme featured plenary sessions and paper presentations examining the intersections of law, modernisation and social impact, including artificial intelligence (AI) in legal instruction, communication frameworks for technology-driven legal practice, automated legal analytics and ethical AI training.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN, Professor Edoba Omoregie, SAN, who was the Chief Host, expressed delight that the university was hosting the conference, noting that UNIBEN had previously hosted the NALT conference in 1986.

The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Iyobosa Okungbowa, represented by Justice Peter Akingenro, thanked the Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of the Faculty of Law for the invitation.

Welcoming participants on behalf of the Edo State Judiciary, Justice Akingenro observed that critical assessments of court judgments by members of NALT had contributed to the development of law.

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He said virtual hearings and electronic filing of cases had transformed court procedures in Edo State.

However, the judge cautioned against the risks associated with artificial intelligence tools, noting that the use of AI had contributed to the emergence of fake cases.

He disclosed that Edo State was the first state in Nigeria to develop a Practice Direction on the use of artificial intelligence and urged other states to emulate the initiative.

Justice Akingenro also called on legal academics to undertake research aimed at addressing the challenges associated with the use of technology in legal practice before formally declaring the conference open.

The keynote address was delivered by the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State, Oluseun Abimbola, SAN, who spoke on ethical issues in technology-driven legal research.

Abimbola thanked Professor Bazuaye and NALT for inviting him to deliver the keynote address. He highlighted the significant transformation technology had brought to legal research and practice, acknowledging its numerous benefits.

He, however, warned that the growing use of technology also presented risks and called for an amendment of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners in Nigeria 2023 to incorporate guidelines governing the use of technology by legal professionals.

A major highlight of the opening ceremony was the presentation of an award to the keynote speaker by the Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN on behalf of NALT.

Another major session at the conference was a discussion titled “Bridging the Justice Gap: Digital Transformation in Legal Education for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.” The session was held on Tuesday, October 20, at the Faculty of Law, UNIBEN.

The session was chaired by Professor D. Odigie, while Mrs. Theodora O. Otasowie and Mrs. Cynthia Juwah served as rapporteurs.

The paper was presented by a representative of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, while Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, and DELSU, Abraka, served as discussants. Miss Ovoke Igbigbi, Esq., of the Faculty of Law, DELSU, Oleh Campus, represented the university in discussing the paper.

Members of the DELSU delegation included Professor (Mrs.) Beauty Alloh; Professor Kingsley Edu; Professor Andrew Clement Ejovwo Abuza; Dr. Brown Umukoro; Dr. Peter Itsueli; Dr. Gaga Ekakitie; Dr. Moses Omozue; Dr. Taiga Ejomafuvwe; Dr. Ejiro Kore-Okiti; Dr. (Mrs.) Johanna Chukwu; Aeron Ologe, Esq.; Mrs. Martha Amaka Obi; and Miss Ovoke Igbigbi, Esq.

The conference featured plenary sessions, special plenary sessions, breakout tracks and the NALT Dinner.

The 2026 NALT Annual Conference concluded on Wednesday, October 21, with further plenary sessions, breakout tracks, the association’s Annual General Meeting, resolutions and the NALT Dinner.