By Waziri Isa Adam
As the 30th of September marks the end of Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan’s five-year eventful tenure as Director General/CEO of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), his groundbreaking achievements will be remembered as a testament to his visionary leadership and dedication to excellence.
Between 2019 – 2024, Professor Ladan-led management promoted a total of 279 staff (out of 286, which equals 97%) to different academic and non-academic positions.
In the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, Professor Ladan cleared all promotion backlogs that included 44 non academic staff (2016), in 2017, he cleared the backlog promotion of 37 academic staff and 9 non-academic staff. He also cleared the backlog promotion of 47 academic staff and 5 non-academic staff.
In the year 2019, Professor Ladan-led management promoted a total of 105 staff – 18 academic and 87 non-academic.
In the years 2020 and 2021, a total of 83(11 academic and 72 non-academic) and 92(19 academic and 73 non-academic) staff were promoted respectively.
In the years 2022 and 2023, a total of 51(9 academic and 42 non-academic) and 63 (11 academic and 52 non-academic) staff were promoted respectively.
The other phase of the promotion exercise carried out by the Professor Ladan-led management exclusively comprised of staff that were promoted to the ranks of Directors and Professors, between 2019 – 2024. Within this period 14 non-academic staff were promoted to the ranks of Directors, with 10 in Abuja and 4 in Lagos.
Within the period under review, 21 academic staff were promoted to different ranks. While 10 were promoted the rank of Full Professors, 11 were promoted to the rank of Associate Professors.
While the outgoing Director General was able to pay, within the period under review, a total sum of N72,011,658 as remittance into the consolidated revenue fund, it has paid N109,114,483.22 as salary arrears and as settlements for the institute’s disengaged uncaptured employees by IPPIS into NIALS’ payroll.
Advanced legal research carried out under his tenure resulted in the publication of 10 unique law books in emerging fields of law, 16 volumes of 8 specialized journals, 12 articles published in international journals and books published by Kluwer, Springer and Oxford University Press, over 20 Strategic Rules of Courts and Practice Direction for federal and state judiciaries, and a total of 20 Policy Bulletins for Policy Makers and Training Manuals/Guidebooks for prosecutors and law faculties in Nigerian Universities.
Through out his tenure, the Hubert Humphrey USA, Fellow has added significant value to advanced legal research in emerging fields of law and capacity building of justice sector and legal education sectors in Nigeria and Africa, leaving an indelible mark on the institution and the legal landscape.
His leadership has been marked by unprecedented success, including the successful management of a $2.5 million MacArthur Foundation Grant and the development of numerous global and regional instruments through his consultancy services.
A renowned expert in Public International Law, Professor Ladan,’s contributions have been felt globally, with 16 authored law books, over 80 published journal articles, and more than 100 presented papers to his credit.
As he concludes his tenure, Prof. Ladan’s legacy will continue to inspire and shape the future of legal studies in Nigeria and beyond.
Professor Ladan’s groundbreaking achievements will remain a lasting tribute to his commitment to excellence and his passion for advancing legal education and reform in Africa.