Campus News

NGOs rally support for EBF National Disability Moot Competition

Ahead of the announcement of the semi-finalists (Oral Rounds) for the Egbewole Banjo Foundation’s (EBF)  National Disability Moot Court Competition tomorrow (Thursday, April 17, 2025), some  Disability Persons Organisations (DPOs) are showing support for the initiative to develop awareness through education of the rights of persons with disability.

This was made known by Prof. Azubike Onuora-Oguno, a Professor of International Human Rights Laws and Senior Programme Manager of the Disability Law Advocacy Project (DLAP) based at the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin.

Prof. Onuora-Oguino disclosed that DPO’s like Voice of Disability International (VDI) and Opeoluwa Sotonwa Foundation (OSF) have already pledged awards and cash prizes for the best teams.

In a communication from Catherine Edeh Esq, the ED of VDI, the winning teams and best individual oralists will receive awards that will preserve the memory of participating in the competition.

Dr Opeoluwa Sotonwa of the OSF is gifting the best team, first runner up, and second runner up with cash awards.

Prof. J.O. Olatoke, Chairperson of DLAP said that the event will be the first ECOWAS COURT-focused Moot Court Competition. The  case to be argued by the students is centred on issues affecting persons with disability, free movement within the ECOWAS region, child rights, and access to education of persons with disability.

Twelve universities have expressed interest in the preliminary rounds.

 Four semi- finalists will be announced in an online event on April 17, at 5.00 p.m. Nigerian time.

The Semi-Finals will take place physically at the Moot Court Complex of the University of Ilorin from May 12 to 15, 2025.

Dr Ousman Diallo, the Director of Research of the Court, will conduct a workshop on the workings, procedure, and jurisprudence of the ECOWAS Court on May 14.

The Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, Prof. Nimota M. Abdulraheem, and  the Ag. Head of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law are eagerly waiting to host the teams that will make it to the oral rounds in Ilorin.

The first edition of the disability moot competition was sponsored by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), and it was won by the Imo State University, with Eboyin State University as the first runner-up. The revamped competition is now anchored by the Egbewole Banjo Foundation (EBF), a brain child of Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN the Vice Chancellor of  University of Ilorin.