We’re leaving NBA stronger, more innovative, financially stable — Osigwe

The outgoing President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has highlighted major institutional, technological, welfare and professional reforms undertaken by his administration in the last two years, saying the Association is leaving behind stronger foundations for future leadership.

Osigwe made the disclosure in his final annual report to the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the NBA in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, saying the report was both an account of activities in the year under review and a reflection on the administration’s stewardship since it assumed office in August 2024.

The NBA president said his administration was guided by six priorities: defence of the rule of law and constitutional democracy; prudent financial management; institutional reform and professional regulation; lawyer welfare and economic empowerment; legal education and capacity building; and modernisation of the Association through technology.

He said the administration inherited significant challenges, including delays in the production and distribution of NBA Stamps and Seals, inefficient manual processes, concerns over professional regulation and legal education, and the need to improve members’ welfare. According to him, the administration therefore focused on building sustainable institutions rather than pursuing short-term achievements.

On constitutional democracy, Osigwe said the NBA consistently opposed actions capable of undermining democratic governance, judicial independence and the rule of law. 

He cited the Association’s response to the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of elected institutions, saying the NBA maintained that political disputes must be resolved through constitutionally recognised mechanisms.

According to him, the decision to relocate the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu was an expression of the Association’s commitment to constitutional principles, stressing that the NBA would not compromise its convictions for administrative or financial considerations.

The president also highlighted the legal battle surrounding the 2026 NBA elections. He said the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, on July 14, 2026, upheld the NBA’s appeal against proceedings before the Oyo State High Court and held that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit seeking to restrain the electoral process.

According to Osigwe, the NBA also resisted a purported directive attributed to the Attorney-General of the Federation seeking the postponement of the election and the disbandment of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA). He said the Association maintained that its internal electoral affairs were governed by its Constitution and that the ECNBA must remain institutionally independent.

He further said the election proceeded despite challenges, including a cyberattack that forced the ECNBA to rebuild and migrate its information technology infrastructure. The election produced Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya as the 33rd NBA President, while other national officers were also elected.

On digital transformation, Osigwe described the introduction of the Digital Annual Practice Licence, digital Letters of Good Standing, the NBA National Executive Council Digital Portal, Smart Identity Card, Digital Signature Studio and enhanced Digital Seal as among the administration’s major achievements.

He said the reforms had reduced administrative bottlenecks, improved verification and documentation, strengthened transparency and positioned the NBA to operate as a modern professional association, adding that, the administration also encouraged lawyers to embrace artificial intelligence, legal technology, digital practice management and other emerging technologies.

The NBA president said his administration also prioritised legal education and professional regulation through its engagement on amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act, the introduction of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Framework and the decentralisation of disciplinary processes. He also cited the 2026 NBA Legal Education Summit and the development of new legal education standards.

On welfare, Osigwe said the administration established a N500 million Welfare and Life Assurance Fund, which had grown to more than N527 million through prudent financial management, disclosing that more than N140 million had been paid as death benefits to beneficiaries of deceased members, while approximately N24.29 million was provided as medical financial assistance to lawyers requiring urgent intervention.

He also highlighted the establishment of the Kanu Agabi, SAN Young Lawyers Co-Working Space and the nationwide enforcement of the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order 2023. According to him, enforcement efforts had resulted in the recovery and generation of professional fees running into billions of naira for lawyers in several jurisdictions.

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On financial stewardship, Osigwe said the NBA invested N4.154 billion in fixed-income instruments and generated sufficient income to fund staff salaries for 18 months without touching the principal investment adding that the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference generated and preserved more than N1 billion in savings and surplus for the Association.

The report also highlighted the administration’s efforts to protect lawyers from harassment and unlawful arrest through the establishment of the NBA National Litigation Committee, with operational structures across the six geopolitical zones. Osigwe said the Association intervened in several cases involving lawyers whose professional rights were allegedly threatened.

He further reported extensive branch engagements under the administration’s “One Bar” philosophy, as well as international partnerships with organisations including UNICEF, United Nations agencies, the British High Commission, the United States Embassy and the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law and mentioned a partnership with UNICEF valued at approximately N120 million supported programmes in child protection, juvenile justice, legal aid and access to justice.

As he prepares to hand over leadership, Osigwe expressed appreciation to NBA national officers, the National Executive Council, branch leaders, sections, fora, committees, the judiciary, the Body of Benchers, the Council of Legal Education, development partners, Secretariat staff and members of the Association. 

He urged the incoming administration to consolidate the reforms, preserve financial prudence, deepen digital transformation, prioritise lawyer welfare and continue defending the rule of law a d added that, his greatest satisfaction was leaving behind an NBA that was “stronger, more innovative, more financially stable, more technologically advanced, and more responsive” to its members.