NDDC Reaffirms Commitment to Education, Kicks off 2026 Moot and Mock Trial Competition

The Niger Delta Development Commission has launched its 2026 Annual Moot and Mock Trial Competition, bringing 16 law faculties from across the region to Port Harcourt. The event aims to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical courtroom advocacy, equipping young lawyers with the necessary skills and confidence to tackle regional challenges. The Niger Delta Development Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to boosting educational standards and developing local talent across the Niger Delta following the official kickoff of its 2026 Annual Moot and Mock Trial Competition. The event held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday brought 16 law faculties from across the region's nine states to help aspiring legal professionals bridge the gap between classroom theory and practical courtroom advocacy. Chairman of the 7th NDDC Governing Board, Mr Chiedu Ebie, who declared the competition, said the agency's interest in the competition stems from the strategic role it plays in building the confidence of young legal minds. 'Moot Court competitions offer students a platform to sharpen their advocacy and courtroom presentation skills, and to learn first-hand lessons that will serve them well in their future careers. 'They present an opportunity for students to step outside the classroom and engage in practical courtroom practice. It's our expectation that this competition lays the foundation for the advocacy skills these young legal minds will need to draw attention to the challenges of our region, even at this early stage of their careers,' Ebie stated. Similarly, the commission's Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, noted that feedback from previous competitions has shown that the moot trial plays a crucial role in the legal education of aspiring lawyers. Ogbuku, who was represented by the NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, said the competition helps them to acquire important knowledge, advocacy skills and practical experience that shape their future, saying the commission will continue such programmes. 'As the foremost interventionist agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the region, human capacity development in the education sector is a veritable component of the NDDC's statutory mandate, and we are committed to ensuring that we continue to support such programmes,' Ogbuku stated, Speaking, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, commended the NDDC for the initiative, saying it shows the commission places value on the profession for the transformation of the region. Akpata, who is the 30th President of the NBA, appealed to the NDDC board to revive the Memorandum of Understanding it had with the NBA, saying the bar is ready to continue deepening collaboration with the commission. He said, 'Investing in the legal profession of young people is the most meaningful investment anybody can make in the life of the region. Advocacy is the bedrock of the legal profession. It is true across every area of the legal profession. ' Akpata said those who are successful in law are those who have the skill to construct good arguments to persuade the listeners, noting that advancements in innovation cannot stand to argue in court rooms. Akpata, who contested for the 2023 governorship election in Edo State, on the platform of the Labour Party, charged law faculties in universities to invest in the establishment of moot courts, noting that it helps law students to build confidence in the profession. 'We are living through a period of extraordinary advancement in technology and innovation like Artificial Intelligence. Most arguments can now be done by a machine. But the ability to stand in court and argue what you did not anticipate is what the machine cannot do for you. 'If you are looking for a set of skills that machines cannot do, this event provides that skill. It's not enough to train lawyers in the classroom, but more appropriate to create the opportunities for the students to practice the law. 'Every faculty of law should take this seriously and invest in moot court as a core part of legal education,' Akpata stated. A retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, in her keynote address, advised the participants to treasure whatever experience they get from the competition, adding that it would help them in the future. Dennis Naku is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with approximately 19 years of professional experience. 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