Data Brief — updated 30 Aug 2025

Nigeria’s Legal Profession in Numbers (Since 1963)

How many lawyers has Nigeria produced since the first domestic Call to Bar in 1963? How many were called most recently? And how many law firms operate across the 36 states and the FCT? Below is a source-linked briefing with charts.

Calls to Bar 2020–2025 (selected sessions) — Calls to Bar (selected sessions, 2020–2025). Largest single session on record: July 2025.

Snapshot (August 2025)

Total ever called (since 1963, floor)

~213,000+

197,015 (Jul 2021) plus major 2022–2025 cohorts.

Latest Call to Bar

5,734 (Jul 8–10, 2025)

Largest single session on record.

Law firms (directory)

2,894

Directory-based estimate (May 5, 2025).

Top states by firms

Lagos 954 · FCT 522 · Oyo 155

See full state list below.

Why 1963? The Nigerian Law School was established in 1962; the first Nigeria-based Calls followed in 1963 (before then, most Nigerians were called in England).

Who counts as a lawyer in Nigeria?

Rule. A person may practise as barrister & solicitor only if their name is on the Roll kept by the Supreme Court. The Council of Legal Education / Nigerian Law School runs the Bar Finals; the Body of Benchers conducts Call to Bar ceremonies.

Recent Calls to Bar (selected)

July 2025: 5,734 called (from Nov 2024 exams).
March 2024: 4,412 called (≈5,300 sat; 251 first class; 888 failed).
Dec 2022: 4,711 called.
Sept 2020: 1,785 called (COVID-era dip).

Law firms by state (top 10). Directory-based; treat as indicative rather than official.

Where are law firms located? (broadened list)

Directory aggregation (May 5, 2025) suggests 2,894 Nigerian law firms. Reported distribution includes:

Lagos 954; FCT (Abuja) 522; Oyo 155; Edo 129; Enugu 111; Kaduna 108; Anambra 103; Ogun 97; Imo 92; Abia 83; Delta 76; Akwa Ibom 70; Kwara 49; Kano 48; Ondo 48; Osun 40; Plateau 40; Cross River 24; Ekiti 24; Niger 18; Kogi 15; Benue 14; Nasarawa 13; Borno 12; Bauchi 9; Ebonyi 8; Gombe 7; Adamawa 4; Jigawa 4; Katsina 4; Sokoto 4; Taraba 4; Bayelsa 2; Yobe 2; Zamfara 1.

Caveat. There is no official, state-coded CAC register of “law firms”. Directory counts can under/over-state reality due to duplicate multi-office listings, unlisted chambers, or inactive entries.

The big question, analysed

Question

Are there “too many” lawyers in Nigeria?

Rule

Practise requires being on the Supreme Court Roll; Calls to Bar are the inflow; “active” status depends on annual practising compliance.

Application

The ever-called pool (~213k+) must be read against smaller active numbers, concentration in Lagos/FCT, and post-COVID throughput. For a 220m+ population, headcount alone doesn’t prove saturation; distribution, quality, and access-to-justice are the binding constraints.

Conclusion

Trend is upward but manageable. Priorities: quality assurance, ethics/discipline, tech-enabled practice, and expanding services to underserved states—rather than restricting entry.

Methodology & downloads

Ever-called floor: 197,015 (as at Jul 2021) plus large 2022–2025 cohorts.
Firms by state: directory aggregation; indicative only.
Charts: linked to your uploads for clarity.

Downloads: Data workbook (XLSX) · media.csv

Sources (high level)

Whistler (29 Jul 2021): 197,015 lawyers cumulative.
The Nation / Daily Trust (Jul 2025): 5,734 called to Bar; TheNigeriaLawyer (Nov 2024 exam stats).
The Guardian / Vanguard (Mar 2024): 4,412 called; 251 first class; 888 failed.
Independent NG (Dec 2022): 4,711 called; Channels (Sept 2020): 1,785 called.
Legal Practitioners Act; Supreme Court Roll (training: NLS; Call: Body of Benchers).
Rentech Digital directory (May 5, 2025): ≈2,894 firms; state distribution.

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