All is set to honour the Immediate Past Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan with the Institute’s Eminent Jurist/Legal Icon Fellowship AwardThe award which will be conferred on the eminent Legal Icon during the Institute’s 2025 Fellows Lectures, Conferment of NIALS Honorary Fellowship and Fellows Dinner, will take place on December, 2nd, at Main Auditorium Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, by 11 am.
CITATION OF PROFESSOR MUHAMMED TAWFIQ LADAN – BIRTH, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER: – 1960 – 2025
Born on 24th March 1960, at Kofar Mazugal Quarters, in Dala Local Government of Kano State, Nigeria, as the 10th child of the co-founder and pioneer principal of the Dantata Memorial School, Late Alhaji Alfa Usman Ladan. His mother’s name is Late Maryam Yusuf Ladan.
Enrolled as a primary One pupil in 1966 at the Dantata Memorial School, Prof. M.T. Ladan completed his primary, secondary and pre-degree diploma in law, education in 1974, 1980 and 1983 respectively, and gained a direct admission for a three year LLB degree programme at the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Ladan obtained his LLM in 1990, PhD in Law degree in 1997 at the same university. Ladan also obtained his post-doctoral one year certificate in June 2000 at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA; and professionally trained and certificated on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in 1996 at the California State University, Sacramento, and Harvard Negotiation Programme, USA.
Prof. Ladan joined the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, in October 1987 as an Assistant Lecturer and rose through the ranks in 17 years to become a full Chair Professor of Law in October 2004 at the age of 44 years. Hence 21 years longstanding as a Professor of Law out of his 38 years of teaching, research, supervision, mentorship and academic leadership experience.
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGAL EDUCATION, LAW AND JURISPRUDENCE THROUGH SCHOLARLY RESEARCH WORKS, PUBLICATIONS AND MENTORSHIP: – 1990 – 2025
Academic Output: Prof. Ladan pioneered the development of course outlines and teaching of Environmental Law in 1990, International humanitarian law in 1997, ECOWAS Community Law in 2009, Energy and ICT Law in 2014 and authored pioneering text books on each one of them published by the Ahmadu Bello University Press Ltd, Zaria.
Prof. Ladan taught Jurisprudence for 24 years (1993-2017), authored the pioneer textbook on combined classical and Islamic Jurisprudence published by Malthouse Press Ltd, Lagos in 2007 and revised in 2010, reprinted annually for ten years, which became his “best-seller” publication available on Amazon.com, and in public libraries across the globe.
Prof. Ladan’s academic output includes over 80 journal articles and chapter book contributions, found published by Cambridge University Press, UK in 2007, Kluwer Law books publishers, Netherlands, in 2009, Springer Nature Publishers, Switzerland in 2022-2024, IOS Press, Netherlands, in 2018-2019, Routledge-Taylor and Francis Publishers, London/New York, in 2025, Juta Publishers, South Africa, in 2016, among others.
Prof. Ladan’s legal scholarship is felt at the global, continental, regional and national levels, having presented 50% of his over 100 conference and seminar papers in all the continents of the world on matters relating to finding solutions to environmental, climate change, migration, human rights, forced displacement, and governance crises. Such presentations took Prof. Ladan to Yale University, Harvard Law School and California State University, Sacramento, in the USA, University of Ottawa, Canada, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights of the University of Oslo in Norway, University of Copenhagen in Denmark, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s conferences in Brazil, Uruguay, India, Indonesia, Turin-Italy, Kenya, Uganda, other international conferences organized by UNESCO, UNHCR, African Union, African Human Rights Court, ECOWAS Court of Justice, ICRC, ACLARS, and ASSELMU/UNEP in France, UK, Switzerland, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, South Africa, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, amongst others.
Impactful Mentorship: More importantly, is the fact that, the impact of all these academic outputs lies in the 101 citations of Ladan’s 41 scholarly works, by other researchers in their publications according to www.researchgate.net, and Ladan’s name and scholarly works were mentioned/cited by 1,869 papers of other researchers across the globe, according to www.academia.edu. Most importantly, beyond the academic outputs, is Prof. Ladan as an impactful mentor: – having spent 28 years mentoring two generations of Professors of Law and three generations of PhD in Law holders through postgraduate supervision, co-authorship of Publications, joint presentations of papers, co-editing of unique scholarly publications, such as the Digital Economy Law and Policy book, 2022; the Creative Economy Law and Policy book, 2024; the Treaty Law and State Practice in Nigeria book, 2023; Waste to Wealth Law, Policy and Practice book, 2022, and West African Yearbook of International Economic Law and Practice, 2024, all published by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Prof. Ladan has within this period externally assessed over thirty academic staff for professorial ranks from the University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsuka, NIALS, Bayero University Kano, University of Jos, and University of Ghana, among others. Ladan has equally externally examined over (40) forty PhD candidates across the globe, including, Maastricht University, Netherlands, Ghent University, Belgium, International Islamic University, Malaysia, University of Ghana, Universities of Pretoria, Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, and Cape town in South Africa, University of New England, Australia, and Universities of Nigeria, Nsuka, Jos, Abuja, Lagos, OAU-Ile-Ife, Bayero University, Kano and Usmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, amongst others.
Meritorious service to the development of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), the Legal Profession, and Justice Sector:
Prof. Ladan’s contribution to the development of NIALS started in 1995 under the 2nd DG, Late Professor M.A. Ajomo SAN, all through the successive DGs (3rd – 6th) for 24 years, before he became the 7th DG in September 2019 – 2025, having served as a resource person for NIALS series of seminar, conference and capacity building workshops, as an external examiner of postgraduate programme, external assessor for staff on professorial ranks, and a contributor to chapters in books and journal publications. Ladan’s impactful contribution as a 5 year tenured DG has been documented and published in a ten volume report available online and in public libraries, ranging from enhancing staff welfare, career progression and capacity building and by providing academic leadership in research and unique publications totaling 68 (including ten books, twelve volumes of 8 journals, Rules of Courts and Practice Directions for State Judiciaries, case digest series, compendia series, training manuals for law teachers, prosecutors and lawyers on the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act/Laws); enhanced NIALS visibility at all levels of governance in Nigeria and at the regional, continental and global levels through effective collaboration/partnerships with UN Agencies like UNESCO, UNICEF and UNODC, as well as donor agencies like MacArthur Foundation, amongst others.
All these efforts led to the following recognitions and appreciation: – By UNODC and Office of the National Security Adviser “for exceptional contributions towards the development of the Nigeria Call for Action Declaration on the Treatment of Children Associated with Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups in Nigeria”, dated 8th December, 2022.
By the Federal Government of Nigeria, National Productivity Centre, Abuja, on 14th June 2023, NIALS was conferred with the 2022/23 National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award, the first and the only national award to NIALS as a justice sector institution in Nigeria.
By NIALS to Prof. Ladan, a certificate of completion signed by the Institute Secretary and Institute Bursar on 14th September, 2024, having “successfully and meritorioiusly completed his impactful 5-year tenure as the DG/CEO of NIALS, September 2019 to September 2024”.
2.3.2 Prof. Ladan’s contributions to the development of the legal profession and justice sector in twenty five years (25 years) lies in serving as a technical expert resource to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), National Judicial Institute (NJI), Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) and Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT)’s capacity building of judges, lawyers and law teachers at annual and regular technical workshops, seminars, conferences and judicial colloquia series. He was a contributor to journal articles published in NBA, NJI and NLRC journals.
Ladan served as a member of the Nigerian Council for Legal Education (2018 – 2021); Member of the Academic Sub-committee of the Legal Practitioners and Privileges Committee for the award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) under six (6) successive Chief Justices of Nigeria, 2009 to 2020; Member of the Education Committee of the Board of Governors of NJI, 2020 – 2024; Life member, Nigerian Society of International Law, 2021; Deputy National Chairman, National Committee on the implementation of International Humanitarian Law/Criminal Law, 2011 to date, Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, and Member of NALT Board of Trustees and received NALT Long Service Award, in Lagos, dated 19 June 2012 (for a dedicated 25 years of unbroken service, 1987 to 2012). As at November 2025, it has risen to 38 years of academic life.
FROM THEORY TO PROBLEM SOLVING THROUGH POLICY DEVELOPMENT/ACTION/IMPLEMENTATION, JUSTICE SECTOR AND LAW REFORM AT THE NATIONAL REGIONAL CONTINENTAL AND GLOBAL LEVELS: – 1997 TO 2025:
As the pioneer Ag. Director of Research and Planning of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, Abuja, Ladan coordinated the interim secretariat of the Human Rights and Prison Reform Committee (July to Sept. 1998) that recommended to the Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, to establish a national task force on prison decongestion and penal reform, that came into existence in September, 1998 with a four months time-frame to review all cases of prisoners in Nigeria, in order to recommend those to be released under different categories, in order to facilitate prison decongestion, and to draw up a comprehensive penal reform package. Ladan also coordinated the secretariat for the report writing of the task force that recommended the release of political prisoners, including former Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo and others imprisoned on coup plot charges, as well as release of most detained journalists and activists, totaling 2,433 persons, between September 1998 and January 1999.
Ladan co-edited the 1998 Training Manual for prison officers (246 pages) on Human Rights and the Prison System in Nigeria, used for training of prison officials in preparation for a post-military era civilian administration, 1998 – 1999.
Ladan coordinated similar training workshops for the Nigerian Police Force senior police officers in 1998 – 1999 on policing in a post-military era.
3.2 As a member of the Presidential Committee on the Reform of Administration of Justice in Nigeria, March 2006 to May 2007, under President Obasanjo, the committee proposed reforms of the mandate of the National Human Rights Commission, the Legal Aid Council, the Nigerian Prisons Service, and the review of the Evidence Act, Anti-human trafficking law, the harmonization of the Administration of criminal justice procedures, and the Elimination of Violence in Society, amongst others. The Committee’s report was submitted to President Obasanjo at the Villa, with approval for implementation.
Ladan also served as the co-drafter (with Hon. Justice Amina Augie, rtd), of the initial proposals on the review and reform of the juvenile justice administration laws in Nigeria, that led to the draft Child Rights Bill, 2002 – 3 (led by Prof. A.A. Adeyemi – Late), and became the Child Rights Act, 2003, adopted by the 36 States of the Federation today.Ladan served as the Lead drafter of the National Child Policy, 2006, adopted in 2007 for implementation, and in September 2025, submitted to the Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, the Revised National Child Policy, 2025 and its implementation plan for considerations.
Ladan also served as the lead drafter of the National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) between 2008 and 2012, revised severally and finally adopted by FEC in 2021 for implementation.
Concurrently, Ladan led the team of experts that revised and proposed amendments to the National Commission for Refugees Act, that expanded its mandates to cover migration and IDPs, that was assented to on 22 January, 2023 by President Buhari.
Among several others, Ladan served as a member of the Drafting Committee of the first ever National Justice Policy, 2016 – 2017, adopted by the FEC in November 2019 for implementation. Prof. Ladan was on the revision committee of the National Justice Policy in 2024, which was approved by FEC in February 2025 for implementation.Prof. Ladan served for 23 years as the lead national expert in drafting and defence of Nigeria’s Country Human Rights Periodic Reports to the UN CEDAW Committee, UN CRC Committee in New York and Geneva, and to the African Human and Peoples’ Rights Commission in Banjul, Gambia, 2002 to 2025.
Ladan has consulted for UNICEF, UNEP-Nairobi, Kenya, UNECA-Addis Ababa, UNDP, ILO, UNHCR, UNICRI-Turin-Italy, and UNESCO between 2002 and 2025, as well as ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, between 2005 and 2025. He is also a resource person for the international conferences organized by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Abuja, and the African Court of Human Rights, Arusha, Tanzania.
Globally, Prof. Ladan is a member of the World Jurist Association, USA; IUCN Commission on Environmental law (2009 to 2014, and Academy on Environmental law (2004 – date); Member, World Climate Crisis Commission (IUCN, Gland, Switzerland) 2023 – 2025.
Ladan renders advisory and technical services to the Nigeria African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement Coordination Office, Abuja; and facilitates the role of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in national AfCFTA implementation through research, capacity building, policy dialogue and curriculum development.
Prof. Ladan is happily married for 36 years with children.
Leave a comment