Victoria Tokolo
Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and other leading jurists have commended Contemporary Law of Tort in Nigeria, a new legal text authored by Uche Val Obi, SAN, describing it as a timely, accessible and authoritative work that strengthens the understanding of civil wrongs amid Nigeria’s evolving social and digital realities.
The commendations were made at the formal launched of the book in Lagos, an event that brought together senior members of the Bar and Bench to reflect on the development of tort law, its ethical foundations and its expanding relevance in Nigeria’s legal landscape.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, described the book as a seminal contribution that interrogates one of the most enduring pillars of legal heritage. Tracing the philosophical roots of tortious responsibility, he noted that long before modern legal doctrines, moral accountability had been embedded in scriptural ethics.
Oanipekun said “When Lord Atkin articulated the neighbour principle, he merely translated a long-standing moral axiom into enforceable legal doctrine,”.
He further explained that tort law serves as a bridge between moral obligation and legal accountability, evolving from medieval writs into a modern system that protects dignity, bodily integrity, property, privacy and freedom. According to him, tort principles regulate daily human interactions across professions and sectors such as medicine, journalism, manufacturing, innovation and digital platforms, by shaping conduct, allocating risks and promoting responsible behaviour.
Reviewing key judicial milestones, Olanipekun referenced landmark cases such as Donoghue v Stevenson, Rylands v Fletcher and Hedley Byrne, which shaped global understandings of negligence, strict liability and economic loss. He also highlighted Nigerian authorities, including Emeka Okoli v Gaya, Nigerian Navy v Akpan, Musa v PHCN and UTB v Ozoemena, which clarified local jurisprudence on occupiers’ liability, vicarious liability and professional negligence.
He further noted that Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023 and recent judicial pronouncements — including a June 2025 Lagos High Court decision recognising “false light” as a violation of privacy — demonstrate the expanding frontiers of tort law in the digital age. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s $220 million penalty against Meta/WhatsApp, he added, underscored the capacity of Nigerian law to hold global digital platforms accountable.
Speaking with journalists, Olanipekun described the book as “very major, very fundamental and remarkably well-sourced,” stressing that tort law cuts across all areas of jurisprudence because it governs everyday human relationships and interactions. He praised the author for combining practical experience with academic depth, describing Obi as one of Nigeria’s finest legal minds whose work bridges theory and practice.
In his remarks, the author, Uche Val Obi, SAN, said the book was deliberately written for both lawyers and non-lawyers, given that tort law affects everyone at some point in life. He explained that the work “tropicalises” tort law by relying extensively on Nigerian statutes and case law while breaking down complex concepts in accessible language.
Obi noted that emerging trends such as data protection, transnational torts, social media-related claims and post-COVID workplace liabilities informed the need for an updated text. He also addressed access-to-justice concerns, particularly for victims who lack the resources to pursue redress, explaining that the book explores class actions and mass torts as mechanisms for collective claims.
He expressed hope that the book would find its way into law faculties, libraries and courts across the country, adding that its balanced treatment of Nigerian statutes and case law could make it a standard reference for students and practitioners alike.
Former Supreme Court Justice, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, praised the book’s clarity, structure and reliance on Nigerian authorities rather than an overdependence on foreign precedents. “This book will appeal not only to lawyers and judges, but also to non-lawyers,” he said.
Delivering the formal review, Prof Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, OFR, placed the work within a global historical context, referencing the ancient Code of Hammurabi to illustrate the deep roots of tortious responsibility. He commended the book for addressing contemporary challenges such as social media infractions, cyber liability, data protection and post-pandemic workplace issues.
Ajogwu highlighted the book’s 13-chapter structure and plain-language style, describing it as a practical guide for students, practitioners, companies and regulators. In a separate interview, he noted that the book goes beyond traditional discussions of defamation and negligence to address the legal risks of social media conduct, data ownership and privacy, warning that online actions can attract both civil and criminal liability.
“Forwarding content on social media does not exclude anyone from responsibility,” Ajogwu said, adding that the book provides timely guidance in an era where data has become a valuable currency.
With endorsements from some of Nigeria’s most respected legal minds, Contemporary Law of Tort in Nigeria has been widely hailed as a landmark contribution poised to shape legal education, practice and public understanding of civil wrongs in the years ahead.
