Nigeria Loses Erudite Law Teacher, as Prof Matthew Okpaluba Passes On
Steve Aya The Nigerian legal and academic community has recorded another painful loss with the demise of a distinguished law teacher, Professor Mathew Chucks Okpaluba. A statement by his family
The Nigerian legal and academic community mourns the loss of a celebrated law teacher, Professor Matthew Chucks Okpaluba. Family statement highlights Professor Okpaluba's life dedicated to legal scholarship and service. Born in 1942, he pursued legal studies during a crucial time for post-colonial African legal systems. His academic journey took off with an appointment to the University of the West Indies, where he played a key role in shaping the Faculty of Law's reputation.
In 1978, he returned to Africa, serving as a professor in Nigeria, Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa. Professor Okpaluba's academic career was notable for its length and global scope, drawing from three legal traditions: English common law, Caribbean experience, and the evolving jurisprudence of post-independence Africa. His expertise spanned constitutional law, administrative law, labour law, social security law, jurisprudence, and human rights, with a strong emphasis on legality, procedural fairness, rational decision-making, and judicial accountability.
He completed his doctoral thesis at the University of the West Indies on labour law and published his first book in 1975, focusing on collective bargaining in the Caribbean. At the time of his passing, his upcoming book on labour law, co-authored with Professor M Budeli-Nemokonde, "Remedies of Unfair Dismissal in Contemporary South African Labour Law: Reinstatement, Re-employment and Compensation," was set for publication.
Several of his students went on to achieve distinguished careers as judges, senior advocates, academics, and public officials across Africa.
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