NBA President Delivers Powerful Speech at NBA-SLP Jos Conference 2025
At the just-concluded 2025 NBA Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP) Annual Conference held in Jos, Plateau State, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, delivered a powerful address, highlighting urgent reforms needed in the judiciary to promote efficiency and restore integrity to legal practice.
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Mazi Afam Osigwe expressed deep concern over the Supreme Court’s overwhelming workload, emphasizing that many appeals currently reaching the apex court could and should have been finally determined at lower court levels. He called for urgent reforms to streamline the appellate process, allowing the Supreme Court to focus on constitutional and precedent-setting cases.
In a passionate plea for modernization, he questioned why, even in today’s digital age, court judgments are delayed and court procedures remain cumbersome. He challenged other courts to emulate the National Industrial Court’s successful deployment of technology, particularly its e-filing systems and efficient case management, which have made justice more accessible.
Justice Benedict Kanyip, President of the National Industrial Court, also voiced serious concerns about the erosion of professional standards among some lawyers, warning that inappropriate conduct by legal practitioners undermines public confidence in the profession.
Mazi Osigwe further lamented the abuse of court processes where litigants, avoiding personal court appearances, send clerks to swear affidavits, which he described as actions that diminish the sanctity and public perception of the legal profession.
Quoting a world-renowned physicist, he reminded attendees: “Try not to become a man of success but rather a man of value.” He praised the NBA’s ongoing efforts in promoting continuous legal education, which he said is pivotal in enhancing the quality and competence of Nigerian lawyers.
The President’s address was a compelling call for reform, technological innovation, and a return to the highest ethical standards within the legal profession.
