SSK’s 20th anniversary initiative spotlights young legal talents, OAU takes top prize

As part of activities marking its 20th anniversary, commercial law firm Streamsowers & Köhn has launched what it described as a long-term investment in grooming the next generation of legal practitioners through its maiden Moot Court Competition, with Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, emerging overall winner.

The grand finale of the competition, held recently at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, brought together the top five law faculties selected from submissions received from universities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

After a rigorous written stage, Obafemi Awolowo University and Bayero University Kano advanced to the final oral advocacy round, where participants argued a mock case before a panel of distinguished judges.

At the end of the contest, Obafemi Awolowo University was declared the overall winner, while its lead counsel, Ase Hephzibah, was named Best Advocate of the competition.

Other finalists were the University of Abuja, the University of Lagos and the University of Calabar.

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Speaking after the event, Chief Operating Officer of Streamsowers & Köhn, Modupeola Olusoga, said the competition was conceived as the firm’s corporate social responsibility project to commemorate its two decades of legal practice while creating opportunities for aspiring lawyers.

According to her, the firm deliberately chose an initiative that would have a lasting impact on legal education rather than limiting its anniversary celebration to social activities.

“When we started planning the 20th anniversary, there were questions around, aside from coming together to celebrate, what can we do to give back to society as part of our CSR,” she said.

“One of the partners reminded us that when the firm started, the vision was never about passing it on to their children. It was about creating a firm where people can come in, learn, grow through the ranks and make a difference in the legal profession and even the world.

“So we thought about creating a platform where students could come, showcase themselves, showcase their learning and be exposed to something that mirrors the real court experience. Students participate in moot courts in their universities, but this is often different from what happens in actual courtrooms.”

Olusoga explained that the competition attracted entries from 17 universities after more than 30 institutions were invited, with independent assessors screening the written memorials before five schools qualified for the finals.

“We did extensive planning and engaged independent assessors. About 32 schools were contacted, 17 responded and submitted memorials. From those submissions, five finalists emerged and today the top two competed in the oral advocacy round.

“It is really about equipping the next generation of lawyers and reminding them that they have the competence, the skills and the opportunity to excel irrespective of where they come from.”

She described the standard displayed by the students as impressive, saying the competition reinforced confidence in the future of the legal profession.

“It was a thing of pride for me. I was smiling throughout because I could see the depth of knowledge, the capability and the capacity these students possess.

“They are still undergraduates, yet they conducted extensive research, presented confidently and responded intelligently to difficult questions from the judges. They didn’t give shallow answers; they gave thoughtful and detailed responses.”

“To me, it is an encouragement that there is hope for the future of legal practice because we have young people who are not just attending law school but are committed to excellence.”

She added that the moot court competition would become the firm’s flagship annual programme.

Also, SSK partner Vincent Owhor said the initiative was designed to expose law students to areas of legal practice beyond conventional courtroom litigation while strengthening their advocacy skills.

“It is our 20th anniversary and, as part of the celebration, we decided to incorporate a CSR activity. We thought the best place to invest was in our constituency, which is law students who will become future lawyers.

“What we witnessed exceeded our expectations. For students who have not even gone through procedural law to perform the way they did was thoroughly impressive. Their advocacy skills were excellent and the quality of their legal arguments was fantastic.

“The judges took time to deliberate before reaching their decision, and that tells you how closely matched the finalists were.”

He noted that the winning advocate distinguished herself through composure and quick thinking during the oral arguments.

“This is a moot competition where presentation is just as important as the quality of legal content. What stood out in the winner was her ability to think on her feet. That was a remarkable quality, and I have no doubt she is going to become a star in the legal profession.”

Owhor said the competition also introduced students to specialised areas of law such as aviation, election petitions and oil and gas law, broadening their understanding of career opportunities within the profession.

Speaking with our correspondent, Best Advocate Ase Hephzibah of Obafemi Awolowo University described the recognition as both humbling and challenging.

“I feel very humbled because everyone who appeared here was exceptional. Even after people kept telling me I had done well, I still wasn’t expecting my name to be announced.

“At the same time, I feel challenged to become even better. Being named the best advocate is not the destination. The sky is not the limit; it is the starting point. This is simply an opportunity and a motivation to keep improving.”

She attributed her success to years of preparation, supportive teammates, dedicated lecturers and family encouragement.

“I have very good teammates and an exceptional coach who has invested so much in training us. I also benefited from seniors who started mentoring me from my first year in the university.

“My parents encouraged me throughout, and my friends constantly challenged me to improve. I believe being surrounded by the right people and trusting God made a significant difference.”

Ase commended Streamsowers & Köhn for exposing participants to specialised areas of legal practice that many students rarely encounter.

“This competition opened our eyes to fields like aviation law, labour law and other specialised areas. It made us realise that law is much broader than many of us imagined, and it has inspired many participants to explore new career paths.”

She also appealed for greater support from individuals and organisations to enable Nigerian universities to participate in international moot court competitions.

“We are preparing for the Christof Heyns African Moot Court Competition, but like many Nigerian universities, funding remains a major challenge. We have talented students who deserve to compete internationally, and I hope more organisations will support opportunities like this.”