FROM PROMISES TO PRACTICE | September 2026
Learned Colleagues,
How time flies! One month ago, I assumed office as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association. The significance of that moment was not lost on me. But I have always believed that the true measure of leadership lies not in the office one occupies,
but in what one does with the responsibility that comes with it. The first month has therefore been about beginning the work.
It has been a month of listening, learning, engaging and laying the foundations for the administration we have committed to building together.
I have spent time with the people who sustain our institution, engaged with colleagues across different constituencies of the Bar, opened conversations with stakeholders and institutions whose work intersects with ours, and begun exploring opportunities that will translate into meaningful value for our members.
There have also been moments that have reminded us, in the most painful way, why the Nigerian Bar Association must remain a principled and active
defender of the rule of law.
As we come to the end of September, I thought it was important to speak directly to you about the work we have done so far, the conversations we have begun and next steps towards the Bolder Bar we promised you.
This is the first edition of From Promises to Practice, our monthly account of the work we are doing together. This is the Bar at work: what we promised, what we are doing and what comes next. My fellow National Officers and I will share the progress we are making, the challenges we encounter, how we respond to them and the work ahead.
Of course, there will be matters that require our collective attention, so your ideas, your participation and your scrutiny are essential to building the Bolder Bar we promised.
We want you to feel able to ask questions, make suggestions and tell us when something is not working. We will have things to celebrate, and there will be things we need to improve. Both belong in these conversations.
September has involved quite a few meetings and visits. You are entitled to ask: what do they mean for me? That is the question we must keep answering. Why?
Because accountability should not begin at the end of an administration. It should accompany the work itself. Welcome to the start of a Bolder Bar!
01 | CHARITY BEGAN AT HOME
The transition from the 32nd administration provided an important opportunity to receive not only the baton of leadership, but the institutional knowledge and responsibility that accompany it.
I am grateful to my predecessor, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, for facilitating that transition.
My first engagements included a tour of NBA House and an interactive meeting with members of the National Secretariat and I thank our Secretariat staff for their warm welcome and robust interaction.
These engagements were important to me because the Secretariat is not just the administrative home of the Association. It is the organ through which much of our work is coordinated and our services are delivered to members.
Effective leadership must begin with an honest understanding of what and who it seeks to lead. We must understand our people, our systems, our strengths and the areas in which we need to improve.
When a member needs a service, makes an enquiry or raises a concern, they should receive a clear response and timely help.
So our tour and discussions were a first step towards understanding how the Secretariat works, what staff need to serve members better and where our systems need attention. A modern NBA needs a Secretariat that continually finds ways to make life easier for its members.
The Secretariat will soon receive a facelift: repairs to deteriorating infrastructure, better use of office space, and modern coworking and serviced spaces for lease at competitive commercial rates.
Our courtesy visit to the Hon. Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who is also a learned colleague, was very fruitful in this regard and already a team from FERMA has visited the Secretariat to assess the work required. I would like to thank Princess Franka Chukwuani, Legal Adviser in the Federal Ministry of Works and a member and former Chair of the NBA Abuja Branch (Unity Bar) for her warm reception along with the Hon. Minister of State when we visited and her promise to help facilitate the Ministry’s assistance. We thank you for your continued service to the Bar, ma’am.
Our people are our greatest asset! We have a dedicated team of Secretariat staff, most of whom have served for over 10 years. As part of modernising the Secretariat, we are working with them to deepen our “Members First!” brand culture and make them even more member-facing than they already are.
As a first step, in October we will introduce the Secretariat team by face, name and responsibility, so you know whom to contact. Members will also be able to reach the team during working hours through a published toll-free number.
This was our promise and we intend to keep it! A modern, responsive NBA cannot be built on aspiration alone. It requires structures that work, people who are supported to perform, and a culture in which service to members is understood as our primary responsibility. That work has begun.
02 | MEMBERS FIRST: CREATING PRACTICAL VALUE FOR LAWYERS
One of the central commitments of this administration is to restore economic dignity to lawyers.
Many colleagues are finding it harder to meet the costs of practice, professional development and everyday life. Access to finance remains a challenge, particularly for those establishing or sustaining a practice. We cannot talk about welfare without talking about money.
These realities are informing the partnerships we are pursuing. During the month, we engaged with representatives of TAJ Bank to explore areas of possible collaboration with the NBA. Our discussions explored possible savings and financing arrangements, including savings contributions for international conferences, housing and vehicles, as well as easier payment processes. We also discussed specifically for our Muslim brethren, a product designed to assist members in saving towards performing Hajj and Umrah.
The discussion with TAJ Bank followed earlier discussions with Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and Coronation Bank.
At the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria conference, I also brought lawyers’ needs into the conversation about finance and inclusion. Access to finance matters to colleagues trying to establish or grow a practice. We need financial institutions to understand those needs and consider how they can respond.
These are still discussions, not yet benefits you can apply for. We are optimistic, but before we put any arrangement before members, we need to understand its terms, who can access it and whether it offers real value.
The test of these engagements will be whether they help you earn better, live better and practise better. As things develop, we will explain what is available and how to access it.
03 | PRACTISE BETTER, WITH DIGNITY: OUR ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE POLICE AND EFCC
For a lawyer trying to see a client in custody, respect for the profession is a very practical matter.
During the month, I led a delegation of the NBA to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for an engagement with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, and members of the Force Management Team.
The Police and the legal profession have distinct responsibilities, but those responsibilities intersect at critical points in the administration of justice.
Where communication breaks down, the consequences are felt not only by lawyers and police officers, but also by citizens seeking the protection of the law. Our visit therefore addressed access to police formations, communication, professional conduct and recurring friction between lawyers and police officers. I emphasised the need to improve access to justice for children who come into contact with the criminal justice system.
We also talked about the importance of stronger institutional channels through which concerns can be raised, addressed and, where possible,
prevented from escalating.
Our objective is to move beyond episodic interventions towards a relationship founded on mutual respect, professionalism and a shared understanding of our respective obligations under the law. Mutual respect must be felt in those daily encounters.
Flowing from that meeting and my subsequent attendance at the Senior Police Officers Retreat at Owerri, we are in the process of building a protocol for addressing and escalating problems which will involve (from the NBA side) the three Vice Presidents and the Vice Chairmen of the Branches and the relevant personnel from the Police side. This protocol will be communicated in the coming month so that every member is clear about how to escalate issues and to whom, when they arise.
A justice system works better when the institutions within it are able to work together with mutual regard and respect.
Our engagement with the EFCC on 16 September similarly focused on due process, professionalism in investigations and the need to avoid practices that may undermine the presumption of innocence. The NBA supports effective action against corruption and financial crime. We also have a duty to insist on lawful treatment of suspects and respect for lawyers carrying out their professional responsibilities. Those obligations belong together.
The fight against corruption is strengthened, not weakened, when investigations and prosecutions are conducted with professionalism, fairness and respect for due process.
I also raised concerns about comments concerning lawyers’ professional fees in foreign currencies and sought clarification from the Chairman.
The visit provided an opportunity for the EFCC Chairman to clarify the context of the comments attributed to the Commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate and to explain that statements of the Commission’s policy or position should come from him as Chairman. He also reiterated that the EFCC would continue to exercise its mandate within the bounds of the law.
04 | TRAGEDY IN MINNA: THE BAR WILL NOT BE A SPECTATOR
The deaths of 37 persons in NSCDC custody in Minna demanded our attention and action. Thirty-seven lives lost. Families grieving, and serious questions requiring answers.
Whatever the circumstances of their arrest, those in custody were entitled to the protection of the law. The dignity of a Nigerian citizen does not disappear at the point of arrest.
We called for an independent, transparent and credible investigation and constituted a team led by former NBA General Secretary, Jonathan Gunu Taidi, SAN, working with the Minna Branch, to engage families, surviving detainees and the authorities, and monitor the investigations closely.
Our concerns include the preservation of evidence, appropriate medical and forensic investigation, protection of witnesses and the safeguards owed to children. Where responsibility is established, accountability must follow. The NBA will monitor any prosecutions arising from the incident, mindful of its responsibility both to those who died and to the constitutional right of every defendant to a fair trial.
We will continue to follow this matter. Our duty to uphold the rule of law requires both firmness and care: insist on answers, examine the evidence and resist premature conclusions. This tragedy raises questions that extend beyond one detention facility.
It calls for serious examination of custodial conditions, the treatment of suspects, the protection of children who come into contact with law enforcement and the culture surrounding the exercise of coercive state power.
05 | PROFESSIONAL ETHICS, THE BENCH AND THE ADMINISTRATION
OF JUSTICE
Professional dignity also carries responsibilities.
I attended my first meeting of the Body of Benchers as NBA President and was warmly received. At that meeting, I was appointed to an Ad Hoc Committee examining issues relating to appeals arising from Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee proceedings.
A fair and effective disciplinary framework protects both the public and the integrity of the profession. I look forward to contributing to this important work.
The commencement of the Legal Year of the Lagos State Judiciary provided another occasion to engage the Bench on our shared responsibilities. I also expressed my concerns about judges’ health and the importance of regular health checks, given the sedentary nature of their work.
An independent Judiciary and a legal profession committed to high standards are essential to justice that is accessible, effective and worthy of public confidence. The wellbeing of those who administer justice matters too.
06 | INCLUSION: EVERY VOICE, ONE BAR
“The entire Bar is my constituency.” That conviction informed our discussions with the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria, led by its National President, Hassan Taiwo Fajimite, Esq., when they paid us a courtesy visit. We discussed participation, representation and opportunities for closer collaboration. I am President of all lawyers, and our members must feel that in the opportunities available to them.
The same conviction informed my meeting with the Forum of NBA Branch Chairmen in the FCT on welfare, branch administration and preparations connected with the 2027 conference in Abuja.
A colleague building a small practice, a law officer and an in-house lawyer may need different things from the NBA. We must hear those differences and make room for members to contribute to decisions and service.
We promised to circulate a form through which members can express their interest in serving on NBA committees. There is passion, experience and ability across this Association that we should be drawing on.
I myself became active in the profession as a young lawyer out of a sheer passion to serve, without any expectation of reward. I look forward to welcoming many more members into service to the Bar. The online form is being finalised and will be circulated shortly.
07 | KEEPING THE BAR PRESENT IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION
The Nigerian Bar Association has responsibilities that extend beyond the immediate affairs of legal practice.
During the month, I participated in the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri, where discussions focused on developing a roadmap for the effective management of security during elections. My contribution emphasised the importance of clear institutional mandates, effective coordination, respect for the rule of law and accountability in the exercise of security responsibilities.
The protection of the electoral process requires cooperation between institutions, but that cooperation must remain grounded in law. Agencies
must coordinate ahead of elections, understand their collective responsibilities and remain accountable for their respective actions. These arrangements affect the safety of citizens and the credibility of our electoral process. The Bar has a contribution to make before problems arise.
The Chairman of INEC also threw a challenge to the NBA – for lawyers to play a greater role in advocacy to Nigerian citizens. We will meet soon to deepen this cooperation.
The NBA is also part of a committee reviewing the National Policing Bill clause by clause and we attended two meetings in this regard during this month.
Our engagements also extended to the economic sphere. At the end of October, I will be participating in the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit on behalf of the Bar and I will be encouraging as many lawyers as possible to attend. The Bar cannot be absent from conversations about the future of our economy. Lawyers help shape the frameworks within which businesses invest, institutions function and commercial relationships are sustained.
At the Conference of State Law Reform Commissions hosted by the Edo State Government and the Edo State Law Reform Commission in September, I presented a paper entitled “Getting Ahead of the Curve”. My message was simple: can we recognise a legal problem while it is still emerging, rather than wait until it becomes a crisis?
Law reform must address existing deficiencies and anticipate the changes taking place around us. The best time to reform a law is before its shortcomings become someone’s injustice. In Ghana, the Bar Association’s annual conference offered an opportunity to strengthen relationships with our Ghanaian colleagues and discuss the future of practice across Africa. Those relationships matter as we explore how our members can learn from one another and work across borders. A meeting of Bar leaders in Ghana next year will take this conversation forward.
These engagements reflect an important part of our institutional responsibility: to ensure that the voice of the legal profession remains present, informed and constructive wherever questions affecting justice, governance and national development are being considered.
08 | WHAT COMES NEXT — AND WHERE YOU COME IN
In October, we will take the financial-services discussions forward, continue examining how the Secretariat can serve you better and follow up our
interventions with justice-sector institutions, including the investigations in Minna. We will also start in earnest to plan for our first NEC meeting to be held in November on dates and a venue to be announced shortly.
Meetings must lead somewhere. In future editions of “From Promises to Practice”, we will return to the matters reported here and tell you what has moved forward, what remains unresolved and why.
Please keep asking us the questions that matter. Are lawyers better supported? Are opportunities more accessible? Is the NBA making a difference in your professional life?
And please tell us what you are seeing in your branches, your workplaces, your practices and your communities. Your experiences must help shape the
work.
Thank you for the trust you have placed in us. We have begun. Let us keep building together.
Members First. Always.
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb
President, Nigerian Bar Association
30 September 2026
