Nigerian Law Society Seeks To Break NBA Monopoly To Benefit Nigerians
The Nigerian Law Society (NLS), an emerging association of legal practitioners, has vowed to challenge the dominance of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and provide Nigerians with a better alternative. The NLS is currently embroiled in a dispute with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) over its registration, with the CAC labeling the NLS’s activities as illegal.
The CAC’s Registrar General, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, recently requested permission from the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to prosecute the NLS for operating without registration. In response, the NLS accused the CAC of using police harassment instead of awaiting the outcome of an ongoing Court of Appeal case, which centers on a previous ruling directing the CAC to register the NLS.
NLS Secretary Steve Abar defended the society’s legitimacy, arguing that its emergence would provide healthy competition to the NBA, which he accused of operating as a monopoly. According to Abar, monopolies harm end-users; in this case, legal practitioners and the general public are disadvantaged without alternatives.
“The NBA has been operating as a monopoly… When there is no competition, the end user is at the receiving end,” Abar said, adding that competition would ultimately benefit the legal profession and Nigerian citizens.
Abar emphasized that the NLS aims to offer an alternative to the NBA, particularly in holding the government accountable. He argued that the NBA’s leadership has compromised its ability to challenge the government, and the NLS intends to fill that gap.
The NLS also seeks a Presidential Order to legitimize its operations, which would allow the society to enhance legal services in Nigeria, decongest courts and prisons, and provide pro bono legal services to those in need. Additionally, Abar stressed that the NLS would improve the quality of legal practice through mandatory continuing legal education for its members.
Addressing the NBA’s opposition to the NLS, Abar accused the NBA of being concerned more about financial control than service delivery. He claimed the NBA’s significant income from member dues and bar practice fees, as well as its influence over key government bodies, was driving its resistance to the NLS’s emergence.
“The NBA’s annual budget is in the realm of N4 billion… It’s all about finance and control of resources,” Abar stated, noting that the NBA’s leadership has been accused of making appointments to government bodies without proper consultation.
As the registration dispute continues, the NLS remains committed to providing a fresh alternative for Nigeria’s legal community and the public.
