The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, has unveiled its 2026 Annual Conference, with the Section promising a practical interrogation of some of Nigeria’s most urgent justice-sector failures.
The conference, scheduled for 10–13 November 2026 at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, Abia State, will hold under the theme “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development.”
Chair of NBA-SPIDEL, Associate Professor Uju Agomoh, said the Section intends to focus attention on problems that directly affect the way citizens encounter the justice system, including prolonged detention, deaths in custody, inadequate legal representation, weak institutional oversight and barriers faced by vulnerable Nigerians.
Agomoh said the Section remains particularly concerned about avoidable deaths and abuses in detention facilities, stressing that places of detention must operate in accordance with Nigerian law and internationally recognised human-rights standards.
The statement follows concerns raised by the NBA over the reported deaths of 37 persons in an NSCDC detention facility in Minna.
Conference Designed for Action, Not Ceremony
Agomoh said the Umuahia meeting would not simply catalogue problems.
The conference agenda is expected to cover public-interest litigation, constitutionalism, human rights, non-custodial measures, policing, detention oversight, legal aid, corruption, terrorism financing, inclusion and the future of public-interest law in Nigeria.
Organisers expect more than 2,000 participants, including lawyers, judges, academics, policymakers, civil society actors and development partners. Early-bird registration has been extended to 14 October 2026.
The conference will also examine the participation of young lawyers, women lawyers and lawyers with disabilities in justice-sector decision-making.
For the Bar, the significance of the programme lies in its attempt to connect professional advocacy with everyday encounters between citizens and state institutions.
The question is no longer merely whether rights exist on paper, but whether an arrested person gets a lawyer, whether detention centres provide basic safeguards, whether court orders are obeyed and whether vulnerable citizens can realistically challenge public authorities.
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