Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), under the leadership of its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has reiterated its unwavering commitment to the enforcement of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) Programme as stipulated in the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (RPC), 2023 and the NBA MCPD Rules, 2025.
In a statement issued by the NBA, the Association emphasized that it is resolute in giving concrete effect to the mandatory provisions of Rules 11 and 12 of the RPC, which, although introduced as far back as 2007, have not been strictly enforced until now. The NBA stated categorically that the implementation of these provisions will neither be suspended nor scrapped.
The statement further noted that any lawyer who fails to comply with these mandatory requirements would be deemed to have voluntarily accepted the consequences of non-compliance with the RPC, 2023.
The NBA also clarified the legal basis of the Rules, noting that the RPC was made by the General Council of the Bar (the Bar Council) pursuant to the powers conferred by Section 12(4) of the Legal Practitioners Act.
As subsidiary legislation, the RPC derives its validity and enforceability from the principal Act, and must be observed accordingly. Citing legal precedents such as DIN v. A.G.F. (1988) 4 NWLR (1987) 147 and ISHOLA v. AJIBOYE (1994) 6 NWLR (35552) 506, the NBA underscored the judicial interpretation of subsidiary legislation as secondary but binding law.
Highlighting the broader mission of the Association, the NBA reaffirmed that it is within its fundamental duties to regulate legal practice in Nigeria, enforce compliance with relevant laws and rules, promote law reform, uphold the rule of law, and protect human rights.
The NBA strongly condemned the spread of misinformation through social media and rejected any threats of litigation aimed at derailing the implementation of the MCPD programme. It stressed that obedience to the RPC is a collective responsibility of all legal practitioners.
The statement also drew attention to Rule 1 of the RPC, which mandates lawyers to uphold the rule of law, promote justice, and maintain high professional standards. Lawyers were reminded that they must remain faithful to the ideals of truth and justice, and must not engage in misrepresentation or unfounded accusations.
To support compliance, the NBA encouraged legal practitioners to take advantage of various training opportunities, particularly the free CPD sessions offered by the NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBA-ICLE) and other accredited service providers.
The Association assured that no lawyer would be compelled to attend any particular training, as each practitioner is free to choose sessions that help fulfill the required five (5) CPD credit hours annually.
This restatement by the NBA underscores its determination to raise professional standards in the legal profession through structured and sustained capacity building.
Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN
President
