It gives me immense pleasure to extend my warmest felicitations to all participants at the 2025 Annual Conference of the African Bar Association (AfBA), particularly the distinguished delegates from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This year’s conference, with its compelling focus on “Foreign Interests and Africa’s Aspirations for Self-Reliance, Sustainable Development, and Economic Integration,” could not have come at a more defining moment in Africa’s history.
As the continent strives to assert its independence in a rapidly globalizing world, this forum provides an invaluable opportunity for robust dialogue, introspection, and collaboration among Africa’s finest legal minds.
I commend the leadership of the AfBA for assembling a diverse and intellectually stimulating line-up of sessions addressing contemporary legal, economic, and socio-political issues from foreign aid and investment agreements to reparations, artificial intelligence, access to justice, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
These engagements not only enrich our collective understanding but also reaffirm the central role of the law in advancing Africa’s development agenda.
To my Nigerian colleagues, I urge you to participate actively, build meaningful partnerships, and return home with renewed commitment to the ideals of justice, integrity, and excellence that define our noble profession.
Nigeria’s voice and influence remain pivotal in shaping the direction of the African legal community and the continent’s broader development trajectory.
May this conference strengthen our shared resolve to build a united, prosperous, and self-reliant Africa, anchored on the principles of justice, good governance, and the rule of law.
Long live the African Bar Association!
Long live the African legal community!
Signed:
Barth Okoye Aniche
Past 3rd Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
Past Publicity Secretary, Eastern Bar Forum
