‘Remuneration Order Not Optional’, NBA

Steve Aya

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has declared that the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order (LPRO) 2023 is not optional, but a binding regulatory instrument governing legal practice across the country.

The resolution followed the adoption of the report of the NBA Remuneration Committee at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on February 5, 2026, in Maiduguri, Borno State. In a statement issued via its official X account last week, the Association reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing fair and structured legal fees nationwide.

The report, presented by the Committee chaired by Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, outlined strategic interventions, nationwide advocacy drives, enforcement actions and disciplinary reviews, undertaken towards the end of 2025 and the beginning of the 2026 legal year. NEC commended the Committee for what it described as sustained engagement, aimed at institutionalising a culture of fair remuneration within the profession.

According to the Council, the Committee carried out extensive sensitisation campaigns, including engagements at the NBA-SPIDEL Annual Conference, Branch-level town hall meetings and public-interest workshops. Particular emphasis was placed on the Three-Band State Economic Classification Model, designed to ensure realistic application of the Order, while preserving minimum professional standards nationwide.

On enforcement, NEC reviewed reports of alleged breaches of the Remuneration Order, noting that investigations into five formal petitions were concluded without findings of culpability. However, the Council stressed that the process highlighted the need for clear written terms of engagement between Lawyers and clients, to prevent disputes and professional vulnerability.

The Council also examined compliance at Branch level, observing that while most Branches had adopted enforcement resolutions, the NBA Kafanchan Branch remained the only non-compliant Branch as of the reporting date. NEC urged its leadership to immediately align with the national directive, in the interest of uniformity and collective responsibility.

Reiterating its position, the NBA insisted that the Remuneration Order is aimed at protecting the dignity, independence and economic sustainability of legal practice in Nigeria. It also endorsed the Committee’s public advocacy campaign, “No Lawyer Should be Shortchanged”, describing it as part of a broader reform agenda under the leadership of Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, to shield especially young practitioners from exploitative practices and professional undercutting.