In the buildup to the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Enugu, the Association’s Constitutional Amendment Committee hosted a high-powered webinar on Monday, August 18, 2025.
Themed “Understanding the Soul of the Nigerian Bar Association: Structure, Powers and Functions under the NBA Constitution,” the session was designed as both an educational platform and a public hearing to deepen members’ grasp of the Association’s internal governance framework.
The online event, which attracted hundreds of lawyers across the country and offered one (1) CPD point, was jointly facilitated by the NBA Constitutional Amendment Committee and the NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE).
The President’s Candid Address
In his address, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, set the tone with candour, dismissing insinuations that the proposed constitutional amendments were aimed at a “power grab.” He explained that the intention was rather to strengthen governance, transparency, and discipline within the Bar.
“It is amusing, but not entirely surprising, that some have suggested that by making the NBA President and General Secretary part of the General Council of the Bar, the independence of the Bar would be compromised,” Osigwe said.
“The General Council is made up of two components—the official leadership led by the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the private Bar represented by twenty members. If the Attorney-General leads the official Bar, it is only proper that the President of the NBA leads the private Bar.”
Osigwe stressed that the proposed amendments seek not to weaken the Bar, but to empower it. He cited examples, including the lack of a clear provision in the current Constitution on how to discipline errant members, whether at branch meetings or at national level.
“We must have a way of disciplining our members who may undermine the Association or act in ways inimical to its values,” he stated.
On financial governance, Osigwe pointed to past lapses where audited accounts were not presented because of internal disputes. “The Constitution must provide a safety valve in case any officer refuses to carry out their functions,” he argued, while emphasizing the need for reforms to ensure branches receive 20% of practice fees, mandatory savings in a stabilization fund, and greater transparency in branch creation processes.
He reassured members that no amendment was being forced through. “If members reject any proposal, it will be dropped. What matters is that we have a robust conversation and deliver a Constitution that will stand the test of time.”
Distinguished Speakers
The intellectual heart of the webinar came alive with contributions from a stellar line-up of legal minds:
- Chief J. B. Daudu, SAN, Past President of the NBA, delivered the lead presentation. A seasoned constitutional lawyer and respected Bar leader, Daudu drew on his vast institutional memory to situate the importance of strengthening internal governance.
- George Etomi, pioneer Chair of the NBA Section on Business Law (SBL) and current member of the NBA Board of Trustees, brought his expertise in institutional reforms and commercial law practice.
- Oluwaseun Abimbola, SAN, former Attorney-General of Oyo State, Past Chair of NBA Ibadan Branch, and former Chair of the NBA Electoral Committee, spoke on the electoral and disciplinary aspects of the Constitution.
- Cordelia Eke, Chair of NBA Port Harcourt Branch and former Secretary of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), highlighted issues of branch autonomy and compliance.
- Joyce Oduah, former General Secretary and National Treasurer of the NBA, provided insights on financial accountability and the statutory duties of national officers.
The discussion was moderated by Professor John O. Akintayo, a renowned constitutional law scholar, and Madam Esther Jimoh, both of whom ensured that the conversation remained robust and inclusive.
A Profession at a Crossroads
The debate over the NBA Constitution comes at a defining moment for the Association. With the AGC 2025 scheduled for August 22–30 in Enugu under the theme “Stand Out, Stand Tall,” lawyers will converge at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to cast their votes on whether to adopt the proposed amendments.
The issues are weighty: defining the role of the President and General Secretary in the General Council of the Bar; ensuring provisions for disciplining errant members; safeguarding financial accountability; strengthening branch structures; and institutionalizing savings for the Association’s future stability.
For the NBA, this is more than an internal housekeeping exercise. As President Osigwe put it, “We must not be seen as lawyers who cannot even provide in our own Constitution what even laymen provide in theirs.”
The Way Forward
The webinar made one thing clear: the Bar is united in its desire for reform but divided on the details. The Constitutional Amendment Committee, chaired by Abdul Mohammed, SAN, and ably supported by Secretary Paul Daudu, SAN, has pledged to collate all feedback from members before final drafts are presented to the AGM.
As lawyers prepare to gather in Enugu, the NBA faces a defining test of its internal democracy. Will the proposed amendments endure as the foundation of a stronger Bar, or will they be rejected as overreach?
Whichever way the vote swings, one fact is clear: the conversation has reinvigorated the Association’s collective responsibility to strengthen its soul, uphold discipline, and project a Bar worthy of its place in Nigeria’s legal and democratic architecture.
Next Stop: Enugu. The NBA AGM will decide the fate of the amendments. The future of the Bar now lies in the hands of its members.
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