NBA Urges Investment in Young Lawyers for Higher Bar Standard

•Says Kano safe, ready for 2024 conference

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP), Mrs Boma Alabi, SAN, has called for more investment in young lawyers, so as to guarantee a higher standard at the country’s bar. Alabi stated this while speaking on the level of preparation for the 2024 Annual Conference of SLP.

She said the young lawyers were the future of the profession, hence, the need to invest time and resources for their proper development.

Alabi assured that everything had been put in place for a successful and memorable event.

The one-week conference, which kicks off June 2, in Kano State, has as theme, “Administration of Justice in Nigeria: Challenges and Reforms.”

In an interview with journalists, Alabi, who observed that the Section on Legal Practice had lived up to expectations, stated that the leadership was consciously working to improve upon the efficiency of the profession, because of its crucial role in the socioeconomic development of the country.

Speaking on her leadership of SLP, the senior lawyer stated, “As Chairman of the NBA-SLP, I am particularly interested in collaborating with the YLF, as I firmly believe that they are the future of the profession and we must invest in the future if we want to set a higher bar than we presently have.

“We are currently working on setting standards in different areas of practice and providing guidelines for lawyers for use of AI, to enhance data protection and ensure we are using modern tools safely and ethically.

“We have our acclaimed journal, which is published every year, thanks to the industry and generosity of our leader, E C Ukalla SAN. As a matter of fact, we will be giving delegates to our conference free copies of the journal.”

The SLP chairman lamented the harsh economic climate in the country, which she says lawyers were not exempted from, adding that notwithstanding, the section has managed to sail through.

Alabi said, “The major challenge the SLP is facing is the same as every organisation in our current economic climate. Costs are rising and income decreasing. Tough times, indeed. However, we still have to deliver on our mandate and have managed to do so through hosting hybrid and virtual events. And partnering with others, such as the very successful event in Enugu on ADR hosted by the Enugu State judiciary, in collaboration with the SLP.”

She expressed excitement over the upcoming conference in Kano, which had been tagged, “The Arewa Conference.”

Speaking on the choice of Kano for this year’s conference, Alabi stated that Kano State and Jigawa State were historically one, and still enjoyed close ties, “So we are being co-hosted by both states. You must have noted the fact that our CPC Chairman is my learned friend of the Silk from Sokoto State, Dr Suleiman, SAN.”

Alabi explained that the theme of the conference was carefully chosen to reflect the ongoing battle to continually improve upon their game and ensure justice was delivered and delivered expeditiously.

She said, “We have built various topics around the central theme, which is, Administration of Justice: Challenges and Reforms.”

On the role lawyers could play in improving the country’s electoral process and guaranteeing good governance, the senior lawyer stated, “The problem of credible elections will persist until the electorate are more enlightened and Nigerians entrusted with the responsibility of conducting elections realise that sabotaging their responsibility for short-term gain is actually self-destruction in the longer-term.”

She maintained that the NBA-SLP would continue to play a pivotal role in educating the citizenry and equipping lawyers with practical information that would assist them in their advocacy in election petitions.

Alabi said, “The press, too, have a crucial role in the process and we must all do our bit. We are only 25 years and that in comparison is a nascent democracy. It will get better one community at a time.”

She assured all those attending the conference that Kano was safe and ready to host the NBA Section on Legal Practice (SLP) conference.

According to Alabi, “The NBA has received assurances from the Kano State government and the relevant law enforcement agencies in this regard. This was further confirmed by the chairmen of Kano, Ungoggo, and Dutse branches of the NBA, Mr Sagir Sulieman Gezawa, Muhammed Jibrin, and Mustapha Kashim, respectively, several members of these branches, and Mr Aminu Sani Gadanya, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the NBA-SLP Conference.”