2022 NBA Conference: Bold Transitions

For Africa’s largest professional body, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the aphorism that promises are easy to make, but hard to deliver, didn’t come true at the just concluded Annual General Conference which held at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos last week. The Conference, the 62nd in the Association’s history, which saw over 13,000 physical attendees and an additional 5,000 Lawyers attending virtually, was a huge success despite the challenges, including the inability of all Conferees to get their conference materials and the looting of same, which took place last Tuesday. Onikepo Braithwaite, Jude Igbanoi and Steve Aya report on the proceedings of the 7-day event, at the end of which a new Executive of the Association led by Yakubu Maikyau, SAN was sworn into office

The Conference commenced on Friday, August 19 with  Jumat prayers at the Lagos Central Mosque between 1pm – 2pm. The following day, Saturday, saw many Lawyers from across the country participating in the Health Walk led by the outgone President, Olumide Akpata.

A multidenominational Church service on Sunday, August 21 was held for Conferees at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island.  

The Friendship Centre then was thrown open as from 6pm on Sunday evening at the Eko Atlantic City where Lawyers relaxed, networked, ate and drank. 

The Opening Ceremony Lived Up to the Expectations of Most Lawyers

With the theme of the Conference ‘Bold Transitions’, the Opening Ceremony at Eko Hotel Convention Centre was a razzmatazz of sorts. The who-and-who of the Nigerian legal community were in attendance. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, represented by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, past NBA Presidents, Governors and some of the 2023 Presidential aspirants.  

Chimamanda Adichie Decried the Absence of Rule of Law in Nigeria  

The Nigerian political leadership was rated as below par and in need of change for the better, if the country is to be recognised in the community of leading Nations 

Award-winning novelist and Keynote Speaker at the opening ceremony of the Conference, Ms Chimamanda Adichie said. She added that Nigerians do not have good enough leaders to look up to, in the current system.

Adichie said that young citizens were finding it difficult to have heroes for mentorship.

She  said:“We are starved of heroes. Our young people do not find people to look up to anymore”.

The Keynote Speaker said it was important for everyone to speak out against injustice and tyranny, even if they were called troublemakers. She said, a bold transition must embrace audacity and innovation. “They have called me troublesome. Although, it is never enjoyable to be called troublesome; I never set out to provoke for it’s sake. But, I refuse to silence myself for the fear of what I might inadvertently provoke. It has always been important to me to say what I believe, to call out injustice.

“Federal and State security dragging journalists to prison, is tyranny. A journalist ill-treating his domestic staff, is tyranny. The rape of young boys and girls, is also tyranny. It is tyranny when State governments do not pay pensioners, until they slump and die as broken people. The physical harassment of Lawyers and some Judges, is tyranny. The use of the law by some people to oppress the poor people, is tyranny.”

Adiche said Nigerians must be fair in their criticisms, before peace can thrive. She said they should become responsible, before holding the leaders responsible. She said: “As long as we refuse to untangle the knot of injustice, peace cannot thrive. If we don’t talk about it, we fail to hold leaders accountable, and we turn what should be transparent systems into ugly opaque cults”.

“My experience made me think there’s something dead in us, in our society; a death of self-awareness and ability for self-criticism.

“There’s need for resurrection. We cannot avoid self-criticism, but criticise the government. We cannot hide our own institutional failure, while demanding transparency from the government.”

In her closing remarks, Adichie advocated for an uncorrupted judicial system, and called on the NBA to leverage on technology in judicial process and the administration of justice in the country. She said:“Nigerians are disillusioned, because they know of the decline of professionalism in some sections of the legal profession. As the NBA continues to fight the abuse of power, it must also look inward not to be corrupted.

“One way is to simplify legal procedure. We deny justice, when we delay justice. Technology should also be used. It is time for the full use of technology in the administration of justice.”

Lagos State Showcase Session

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday hosted a ‘Lagos Showcase Session’ at the Eko Atlantic City.

The Conference, according to the NBA, attracts about 13,000 legal practitioners across all spectrums, as well as other invited participants within and outside the country.

Delivering his welcome address at the AGC, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, said the showcase session presents an opportunity for the State’s handlers to highlight some of the achievements of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

Onigbanjo noted that, the presentations which covered climate change, healthcare, infrastructure development, land management in Lagos, as well as emergency management and security, were designed to use the opportunity of the gathering of Lawyers to tell them there’s much more that the State is doing beyond what they are seeing.

He explained that there’s a lot of projects and programmes that will come to fruition in the nearest future, to ensure Lagosians enjoy the dividends of democracy, as well as good governance.

Showcasing his Ministry’s sterling strides, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, said the State Government is working tediously to reduce the amount of waste being generated in the State in next couple of years. He lamented that the State is now resulting to waste separation and recycling from sources through organised estates, market places and residential homes, to ensure sanity in waste generation in the State, as all six waste disposal sites in Lagos are almost filled up owing to lack of lands.

Dr. Bello concluded his presentation by urging Lagosians and residents in the State, especially those living on Lagos Island, to shun panic whenever Lagos experiences flash floods after about 4-5 hours of heavy downpour of rain.  He insisted that there cannot be full-blown flood in the State, as there are enough drainage channels, through which the flood water disappears in less than two hours immediately after any heavy rain.

On his part, Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, spoke extensively on how the State Government used the law, policies and regulations, especially sanctionable consequences, to flatten the fourth Covid-19 curve to protect the citizens. 

The Health Commissioner further noted: “My last stretch is on mental health. If you recall, the last law we have in this country was in 1920. It was called the Lunacy Law, and this sought to just extract people who had mental health issues out of the society. It had very little understanding on pathobiology of mental health, so we in Lagos developed the Lagos State Mental Health Law that was released in 2019. It was to humanise the management of mental health disease in Lagos. Part of this law means the State has to establish adequate facilities to manage mental illness, to work against stigmatisation of people with mental health in the society, to ensure adequate access regardless of gender, age and economic status and provide treatment according to international best practices”.

SPIDEL Breakout Session

Panelists at the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) breakout session, “Consequences of Undermining the Judiciary Under Democracy” including Activist Lawyers, Femi Falana, SAN, and Dr Mike Ozekhome, SAN, blamed Lawyers, Judges and politicians for undermining the Judiciary. Access to Justice (A2J)’s Executive Director, Joseph Otteh, also shared this view.

Dr Mike Ozekhome, SAN blamed Nigerian Judges for undermining the Judiciary.

Chief Ozekhome, made this submission when he spoke as one of the Panelists on the SPIDEL breakout session at the AGC. According to him, “Nigeria is in quagmire, Judges are afraid to deliver judgements, because Government is on their neck”. He further observed that this is one of the consequences of undermining the Judiciary, under the country’s democracy. He however, opined that the Judges must be given the independence to do their job fearlessly.

Speaking along the same line or thoughts, Mr Joseph Otteh, the Executive Director, Access to Justice explained that a host of factors limits the functionality of justice in the court. He identified that overcrowded dockets, escalating cost of accessing justice as major barriers, as in the case of filing fees. He also stated that the courts are not responsive enough to the issue of people having access to the courts of law.

“We are still paper driven which is labour intensive, and we are not prepared enough for another pandemic.”

Otteh frowned at delays trailing cases, attributing the snag to transfer of Judges without adequate preparations.

“Our Judges really fail to exercise the courage they need to display, when they face challenges like impunity from the State.”

He said, “if the Judiciary cannot faithfully exercise their authority, the Judiciary will be undermined”.

Femi Falana, SAN, said the courts have not allowed Lawyers to represent their clients confidently and judiciously. He said the courts give attention to political cases, more than cases of thousands languishing in detention, adding that only cases of the rich and politicians are attended to speedily.

To butress his position, he cited the case of the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi. He said his case over the deposition was filed, processed, assigned to a Judge, heard and judgement given same day. He noted that, it is not possible for a common man to achieve that in this country. 

Falana urged Judges to learn to manage cases before them, saying the procedure where cases of senior Lawyers are heard first in court must stop.

“Our Judges must learn to manage their courts, if we must ensure speedy dispensation of cases. I see no reason why the provision in the Legal Practitioners Act that allows cases of senior Lawyers to be heard first in court, must continue.

“We must stop it, and adopt more efficient ways of freeing the court docket”, he said.

Another Panelist, Founder and Director of PRAWA, a non-governmental organisation that seeks the welfare of Nigerians in Correctional Centres, Dr Uju Agomoh,  disclosed that the actual figures of Nigerians in Correctional Centres is unknown. 

Dr Agomoh made this disclosure on Wednesday during the Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) discussion session at the Annual General Conference (AGC).

She added that the current state of the nation’s correctional centres is unacceptable due to the over crowding, when there are provision in the Correctional Service Act of 2019 to deal with the problems.

“We violate the law that we have created. Section 2, sub-sections one to the end have given the Controllers of the Correctional centres the right to take action when the centres are about to be filled to capacity, and yet, no action has been taken”, she added.

Also speaking at the session, Dr Mike Ozekhome, SAN, called for the separation of the office of the Attorney-General and that of the Minister of Justice, in order to separate the Judiciary from politics. He also called for a separate  budgetary allocation, for both Federal and States, to take care of judgement creditors who have to put extra effort just to get what is due to them. 

Also speaking, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, said that the current situation where the rights of Nigerians are seen as mere benefits or dividend of democracy, must be corrected. He made reference to the current situation where the American Dollar is been used as a means of exchange by some individuals, as unacceptable. He gave example of Pakistan and Kenya, where sitting Chief Justices of these nations stood against the dictatorial tendency of the political leadership of their countries, while here in Nigeria the case was different.

The SPIDEL session ended with a resolution by all Lawyers present, to work harder to change the system for the good of all.

Inconsistency in Judiciary Pronouncements Cannot be Eradicated – Justice Ebiowei Tobi JCA

The inconsistency of judiciary pronouncements in Nigeria cannot be eradicated, according to Justice Ebiowei Tobi.

Justice Tobi made this remark while delivering a paper at the break out session.  

Speaking on the topic, ‘Lack of Consistency in Judiciary Pronouncements in Nigeria: Code of Conduct to the Rescue’ , the Justice of the Court of Appeal maintained that inconsistency in judiciary pronouncements and judgements can only be reduced.

“You can not eradicate the inconsistency in Judiciary Pronouncements, you can only reduce it.”

Justice Tobi added that the reason for this, is because individual Judges cannot all look at cases the same way.

“Depending on the school of thought that the individual Judge is looking at the case from.”

He further noted that the question of inconsistency does not affect the discretionary power of the Judges on the matter. Justice Tobi further stated that inconsistency of judgements and pronouncements, does not mean that the Judge is corrupt. That in order to avoid speculations, both Lawyers and Judges must draw the line, or they will be compromised by corrupt elements in the society. 

He pointed out that the reason for such inconsistency includes lack of knowledge on the subject-matter on the side of the Judge, lazy attitude to work, intimidation of Judge and Judiciary officials, and the appointment of Judges amongst others.

He however stated that, the Code of Conduct is neither the solution, or the rescue that the Judiciary needs. 

Lawyers, Courts Aiding and Abetting Corruption – Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN

Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, bashed Lawyers for aiding money laundering abetting corruption.

Owasanoye said this while speaking as a discussant on the topic:“How Corruption Fuels Insecurity and Bad Governance: The Role of Lawyers in Tackling Corrupt Practices in Nigeria” .

He said Lawyers act as middle men for suspects in most money laundering and corruption cases. He then cited a case under investigation, during which the money involved was traced to the account of a Lawyer.

“When we got to the account, the looted money had been further transferred to so many accounts, in an effort to frustrate investigation.”

The ICPC Chairman also said that some Judges have also made things difficult for the anti-corruption agency. 

In the case of courts, the ICPC Chairman said the courts issued orders stopping anti-corruption agencies from investigation and making arrests.

“The biggest culprits are senior Lawyers, and it is a matter of regret that the NBA is not doing anything about it.”

Prof Owasanoye further disclosed that, every year, a lot of phantom projects are included in the budget. He noted that where the money involved is in small bites, it is not easily discovered; but that, when in large bites, they are easily discovered.

“What we do at ICPC is that we take the budget, we break it down and bring out the padded amount”, he said.

Chairman, Civil Society Against Corruption, Olanrewaju Suraju, in his contribution to the topic, noted that senior Lawyers are in the habit of defending corrupt politicians. Suraju berated senior Lawyers for not defending the rule of law.

“They are agents of money laundering, and they undermine the legal profession.

“These lawyers allow corruption of judicial officers and Judges, to the extent that some Lawyers in opposition are abused by court clerks”, he said.

NBA to Deal With Those Who Vandalised Conference Booth 

Any Lawyer found complicit in the vandalisation of Conference booths, theft of phones, assault on officials will be prosecuted by the Nigeria Bar Association. The outgone NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata, gave this assurance during the AGC.

The Chairman of the TCCP gave a vivid explanation of circumstances surrounding the delayed distribution of conference materials, which was all in a bid to give Lawyers the very best. 

“No one said we will not encounter difficulties in life, but the hall mark is how quickly do we resolve such difficulties”, he said.

He proceeded to assure members who did not get their bags, that he and the TCCP will work to ensure that all registered members receive the bags in their locations.

In a related development, Lawyers stirred commotion again over collection of bags and other conference materials. While the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was ongoing, Lawyers thronged BWC Hotel and grounded its services, stirring commotion again over collection of bags and other conference materials.

A bewildered Olumide Akpata informed the meeting of the matter, while also expressing his disgust over the conduct of the Lawyers.

He said: “Lawyers have taken over BWC Hotel. Lawyers are sitting on the tables and desks of the Hotel.

“It has become impossible for the hotel to conduct their businesses.”

Owing to the development, Akpata sought and got the permission of other Lawyers at the AGM to dispatch the 1st Vice President of the Association, John Aikpokpo-Martins to BWC Hotel, to join officials in charge of distribution of conference materials, to bring the situation under control.

Lagos C J Receives Transparency Africa Award

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, has called for total eradication of corruption in all sectors of the nation’s economy, saying that every corrupt practice, including institutional corruption, must be avoided for the rebirth of a greater Nigeria.

He made the plea during an award presentation made to him on Wednesday, 24th August, 2022 by Transparency Africa at the High Court Annex, Osborne Ikoyi, in acknowledgement of his transparent achievements, excellence, integrity and leadership approach.

Saying that corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian society, the Chief Judge maintained that it is imperative for Nigerians to rise up and put an end to the monster, by ensuring that right pegs are put in the right holes.

His words: “Until the system is ready to put disciplinary measures in place to serve as deterrent, we cannot move ahead in the eradication of corruption”.

“When complaints are made and people cannot stand by such complaints and allow due processes take its natural course, and then it makes it difficult for corruption to be eliminated”, he stated.

Alogba therefore, enjoined and encouraged the delegates to be bold and transparent while discharging their duties, just as he promised to ensure an incorruptible system in the Lagos State judiciary.

NBA Suspends Proposed Constitutional Amendments

The NBA stepped down its proposed constitutional amendments, because the matter is in court. The decision was taken at the AGM of the Association, which was held at the Conference venue, Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island.

The outgone President of the Association, Mr Olumide Akpata, told members at the meeting that there are many areas of the NBA Constitution in need of amendment.

He however, expressed regret that the meeting would not proceed with the amendments to the Constitution.

“As ministers in the temple of justice, I propose that we step down constitution amendments”, he said.

He thereafter, asked for a voice vote on the issue, and the Lawyers replied with a tumultuously ‘ayes’. There was no dissenting opinion on the issue. The decision to suspend the proposed constitutional amendments, may be connected with the decision of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which set aside the suspension of the General Secretary, Mrs Joyce Oduah.

In response to the order of the court, the NBA filed an application at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, to restrain Mrs Oduah from giving effect to the Federal High Court order which reversed the NBA-NEC’s ratification of her suspension. Along with its Notice of Appeal, the NBA also filed an injunction, pending appeal, suspending the effect of or any actions or steps that may give effect to the court order under appeal at the appellate court, according to sources. The NBA, through its Lawyers, had argued that the lower court, in reaching its decision, erred by failing to take into account the reliefs sought in Oduah’s Originating Summons, in making a determination as to whether the ratification alters the subject-matter of the proceedings.

A source within the NBA-NEC stated that the suspension of Mrs Oduah stands until determination of all applications in court filed by the two sides, particularly, the decision of the Appeal Court in the matter.

YC Maikyau Takes Over as President of NBA 

The baton of leadership of the NBA on Friday, passed from Mr Olumide Akpata-led Executive to the newly elected President of the NBA, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN.

The impressive swearing in ceremony of the new NBA National Executive was held at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Yakubu Maikayau, SAN, urged members of the legal profession to provide leadership to the country.

Maikyau called on the Federal Government, to show commitment to the protection of lives and property in the country.

He made this appeal against the background of the spate of banditry, kidnaping, cattle rustling and killings bedevilling the country.

According to him: “The Nigerian State is passing through a perilous time. There is the insecurity challenge, and the situation appears so overwhelming.

“Many Nigerians live below poverty line.

“There has been no time that Nigerians have looked towards the Bar, than now.

“Nigerians have been so terrorised, pauperised, and what is left of this country is the voice of the legal profession. This voice must speak against the terror in the land, and this is the charge that my administration will spare no one”, he said.

Maikyau stressed that Nigerians are eagerly awaiting the manifestation of members the Bar, to salvage the nation.

Earlier in his handover address, Mr Olumide Akpata gave assurance that the NBA will continue to protect the cause of the society and make Nigeria a better place through its section, NBA-SPIDEL, under the leadership of Dr Monday Ubani.

Akpata noted that many things are holding the country back as a nation, stressing that the NBA is the only Association that is reflective of the country.

“NBA needs to show this country how things should be done, and rise above selfish interest. We must show our leaders how things should be run in the country.

“In the NBA, we exist for our members, but we must also speak for the lesser members of the society.”

Akpata also urged the Association, to rise in defence of Judiciary.

He said where Judges are not able to speak for themselves because of the position they occupy, the NBA should be prepared to stand up for the Judiciary.

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, who was represented by Justice S. Saidu, said she looks forward to a healthy working relationship between the court and the Bar. She advised the new President of the NBA, Y.C. Maikyau, to use his office to restore the good image of the Judiciary and the country.

THIS DAY Lawyer spoke with a cross-section of Senior Lawyers on their impressions of the 62nd NBA AGC

OCJ Okocha, MFR, SAN, JP, DSSRS – 19th Millennium NBA President – ‘It Met My Expectations’

“The 2022 AGC of the NBA was a huge success, and I can say that it met my expectations. The Olumide Akpata Administration did very well, especially with regard to the fact that they were able to build, in record time, the Conference Village on some land reclaimed at the Bar Beach. 

The Opening Ceremony on Monday, Day 1, was very impressive, remarkable for the Keynote Address delightfully delivered by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and also the Plenary Session addressed by Atiku Abubakar, Kashim Shettima, Peter Obi and some other Presidential Candidates for the 2023 Presidential Elections. The other Working Sessions that I attended were very useful, particularly the one on Conflicting and Inconsistent Judgements of the superior courts in Nigeria.

The one sad episode that I noted, was the fracas that emanated from the problem of late distribution of Conference Bags. All in all, it was a good Conference.”

Dr Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Former NBA President –‘Outstanding Conference’

“The Conference was outstanding for quality and relevance of the presentations, in particular, the main plenary session on 2023 elections which I had the honour to moderate. It was very clear that organising a conference for 13,000 Lawyers must have been a major logistics challenge, but the Conference was very well presented indeed. My real concern is that, future conferences will be extremely difficult as it’s clear to me that we will reach 20,000 Lawyers attending within 5 years, so we must think through a new conference format. The 2022 Conference deserves our praise, and I salute the Conference Planning team and Olu Akpata for a great job.”

Sir Anthony Idigbe, SAN – ‘We Must Build a  Respectable Bar’

“I spoke about building a respectable Bar – Issues in the Regulation of the Legal Profession. I noted that the role of Lawyers and the justice delivery system is important, because as William Hume Blake observed, the court of justice is the bastion against misgovernment.

Lawyers require high ethics and technical skill, to discharge their solemn role in society. There is concern about the falling standards of justice delivery. Many factors, including concerns about quality of service, are driving the need for change in the profession globally and locally. The IBA has identified six drivers of change in the legal ecosystem. The NBA LPRRC reviewed the situation, and made recommendations for reform in 2017. The reforms are yet to be implemented, resulting in a call for renewed commitment to reform by NBA. Those opposed to reform are mistaken. Unless there is a change, the profession may become irrelevant with new forms of service delivery using technology taking over. If the issues of skill gap are not addressed, other professions may successfully encroach into the legal profession. In the end, the objective should not be just building a respectable Bar, but one that is sustainable and globally competitive.”

Rafiu Lawal Rabana, SAN – ‘Conference Surpassed My Expectations’

“The Conference in terms of content and registered attendees, surpassed my expectations. The choice of venue was spacious, and made movement within the Conference easy. However, I think the breakout sessions were too many, and time allocated to sessions were not sufficient to properly discuss the issues.

I will therefore suggest that, future conferences should not be crowded with many sessions.

Overall, I score the Conference high, and congratulate the organisers.”

Prof Ernest Ojukwu SAN, Former Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Law School – ‘I have My Reservations’

I have my reservations about the NBA Legal Education session. The Panel wasn’t up to what I expected. The NBA Legal Education session was ‘Fit for Purpose Lawyer: A Reflection of the State of Legal Education in Nigeria’. We had one Dean, 15 Lecturers, one member  of the NBA Legal Education Committee, No current NBA officer or newly elected officer. One BOB/Council of Legal Education, No BOSAN.

The Profession no be joke.”

Osaro Eghobamien, SAN – ‘Lawyers Must Take Their Health Seriously’

“I was the lead speaker, at the Wellness Talk. I integrated my words with my action by doing 50 press-ups. I enjoyed myself.”

Dr Babatunde Ajibade, SAN – “We Must Learn to Keep to Time”

“I was not able to attend all the sessions, but I found the ones I attended to be well thought out and topical. My greatest challenge with the Conference as a whole, was the failure to keep to time. It’s a major area in which we must make significant improvements going forward.”

Adedapo Tunde-Olowu, SAN – ‘Looting is Condemnable’

“I was aghast when I watched the trending video on the looting of conference materials, and the attack on Conference official by Lawyers at the AGC of the NBA. This shameful conduct must be condemned in the strongest terms.  The incident is a national embarrassment.

All over the world, Lawyers are held to the highest ethical standards by the profession and the society. Failure to adhere to these ethical standards, must attract grave repercussions.

I think that every Lawyer found complicit in this ignominy, should be prosecuted. The culture of impunity where people feel that they can do what they like, must be discouraged. It is time we begin to hold people accountable for their actions. There must be consequences for bad behaviour.”

Tuduru Ede, SAN – ‘Endless Queue for Conference Materials Disheartening’

“Generally, the presentations at the breakout sessions were quite incisive and enlightening. The senior members of the NBA, gave their best. I am sure that the young ones gained substantially from the sessions. The SLP session met quality of standards set. 

The Conference organisation however, witnessed a downside, following avoidable failure to distribute conference materials early and poor quality of the conference bags. One thought that materials would have been sent to Branches a week to the Conference, for attendees. It is criminal to collect money from Lawyers, and recklessly deny them the materials for use at the Conference. Worse still, Lawyers were dehumanised by leaving them to queue endlessly for unavailable materials, for which they had paid months ago. I believe that this occasioned the riotous protest, at the distribution centre. It is disheartening that the TCCP Chairman who claimed to have experience of attendance at several international Lawyers conferences, woefully failed to replicate same for under 20,000. Hotel accommodation was superb. The next administration of Y.C.Maikyau, SAN, should tap on those with seamless conference organisational competencies and prowess.”

Ayuli Jemide, Chairman NBA-SBL – ‘Relevant Content, Quality Speakers’

“The NBA AGC 2022 Planning Committee headed by Tobenna Erojikwe delivered an impactful Conference, from the standpoint of well thought out relevant content and quality of speakers. The use of technology was efficient and seamless, with a first class virtual experience deploying Whova and Zoom to make virtual participants feel like they actually attended. The infrastructure deployment at Eko Atlantic was such an audacious one that could only be achieved by someone as bold as Olumide Akpata, our amiable outgoing NBA President.

In all I would say 8 over 10. The 2 lost on a few glitches expected in any plan to host 13,000 Lawyers.”

Folashade Alli – ‘Very Refreshing and Worthwhile Experience’

“The Conference was a highly remarkable one. It was an opportunity to gain better understanding of topical matters relating to the legal profession, as well as socio-political issues affecting our nation.

The intellectual prowess and expertise of the speakers were exceptional. The Conference was certainly a very inclusive one, owing to the diversity of the various sessions and the combination of speakers. Thoughtfulness was exhibited in the Conference’s organisation and logistics, for example, the provision of crèche for the children of the participants. There is however, still room for improvement in certain areas, particularly in the distribution of the conference materials to participants and management of time.

Overall, I would say that the Conference was a very refreshing and worthwhile experience. I commend the Organising Committee of the Conference, and the leadership of the NBA at large.”

Theodora Kio-Lawson, Head, Branding & Corporate Communications – ‘NBA Finally Ready for Bold Transition’

“My takeaway, is the obvious fact that the Bar is finally ready for the disruption that brings about a full transformation. And that the bold reforms initiated by the Olumide Akpata-led administration, is making this transition almost seamless. It’s a whole new era, and we’re ready for it.

Working with the highly skilled members of the TCCP was wholly satisfying, and the resourcefulness of the team was evidenced in the carefully selected topics/sessions, the line-up of a distinguished faculty of speakers, robust conversations at the technical sessions, and the networking and social events  – all of which came together to form a well-curated and memorable Conference.”