Fatima Zarah Muhammad is one of the recent graduates of Law at Bayero University Kano. In this interview, she shares her aspirations and also advises intending law students on how they too can be successful.
How would you describe the challenges of studying law?
One of the very few challenges I encountered was being in a very new and strange environment.
That sharp transition from secondary school to university was not easy. Everything was complex and a bit advanced. We had course mates who had a diploma in Law and the senior citizens who were very experienced. That weighed us down and somewhat affected our confidence.
But as time went on, we knew that they were a mile ahead of us, so that challenged us to work extremely harder than they did. Alhamdulillah, our results are truly exceptional.
The classroom setting was also intimidating. While in secondary school, we had a composition of 30-35 students. In the university, we had a lecture theatre that could accommodate about 250-350 students.
Another example is the type of questions. Most questions in secondary school were direct questions. But here we encountered questions that required logical thinking. In law, at times a single question could be a full page.
We found this so complex (even though we later realised how easy it was), I can recall how overwhelmed we all were when this was asked such questions.
At what point did you fall in love with Law?
Around my second year in junior secondary school, my passion for the legal profession skyrocketed. Also as a kid, I had people call me ‘Justice Fati’. What further triggered my love for this noble profession was during my LLB journey, we had a programme titled ‘Access to Justice, Challenges and Way Forward’.
Dignitaries from all over the northern part of the country were in attendance. It was truly mind-blowing hearing all their success stories. I remember telling myself “if they can achieve it, then so can I”.
What will you miss about the university?
Alhamdulillah, I gained two things in Bayero University Kano. I gained knowledge, and I found an amazing set of people who are more than friends. I found myself a family that honestly I am going to miss; my ever-supportive coursemates and amazing lecturers that gave constructive criticisms.
What legacies do you think you left behind for law students?
Looking back in life as a student, if there’s anything I can always appreciate and be proud of is setting up an association that was female-only – the Female Law Students Forum (FLF). I served as the president of the association from 2019-2021. We made a lot of visits, ranging from all-girls secondary schools to children’s homes and IDPs camps.
What advice do you have for aspiring Law students?
To be successful in this profession, you can’t work as an island. I’m not saying that you can’t work alone, but to succeed you need mentorship. You need people in the profession that have achieved a lot to guide you. Truthfully, the need for guidance cannot be overemphasised.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
In the next 10 years, I picture myself being a very successful woman. Either running an NGO, imparting knowledge on the young ones or a practitioner in the temple of justice, In sha Allah.
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