The Nigerian Bar Association is the biggest National Association of lawyers in Africa. This is because it is the body of lawyers of the most populated country in Africa. Not only so, it is a bar of experienced lawyers who have written their names on the sands of time in Nigeria.

Legal luminaries of high repute have been produced by the Nigerian bar, and no doubt, the Annual General Conference is a testimony of how important the Nigerian Bar is in the legal community at large.

As provided in the NBA Constitution, NBA can operate branches herein referred as BAR BRANCHES and these branches are found in various states of the Federation. These branches are made up of lawyers practicing in a particular city, town or area as the case may be. These branches are expected to operate as extensions of the NBA at the national level; thus, they are expected to reach out to members of the bar at the grass-root level. Members of the bar at the branches do pay annual and welfare dues which are to be used to address the needs of the members and run the branch. However, many members of the BAR seem not to be satisfied with the performance of many branches.

TheNigerialawyer (TNL) through an INDEPENDENT BODY thus decided to put out an assessment of branches of the bar to make available a log of top five branches that have done exceptionally well.

ASSESSMENTS:

Charity, they say begins at home. The activities of the NBA have several times been measured with how well she has cared for the welfare of her members. Therefore, to know the performance of each branch, focus needs to be given to those programmes that directly benefit her members. Although, the NBA National holds the big hand, it is our belief that not everything is to be handled by the National. There are a few issues which ought to be handled by the branches. What are the branches doing to address them? Another criterion is community Development programs (Projects/Works). The NBA is the eye of the society as a body of lawyers that protect the rights of the people. What are the legal and non-legal services done by the body that has benefited the ordinary people? Other works not directly put under membership and community development works will be classified as others.

Here come our top five branches:

1st: NUMBER ONE: NBA IKORODU BRANCH

Members Development Projects:

  1. Provision of free healthcare services for members at every meeting;
  2. Branch has a 100% return on branch dues payment policy for the benefit of members;
  3. Provides various services for members for free and at discounted prices;
  4. Intervenes on behalf of members regarding issues of corruption or dereliction of duty by judiciary staff;
  5. Ensures that members attend as many legal workshops, seminars and conferences;
  6. Collaborated with the Lagos Court of Arbitration in a workshop to introduce 20 lawyers to arbitration opportunities.

Community Development Projects:

  1. Establishment of the Court Centered Prison Decongestion Initiative that has now facilitated the release of over 100 awaiting trial inmates from Kirikiri prisons;
  2. Organized several community free legal aid programs;
  3. Established the Police Duty Solicitors scheme [PDSS] that intervened in over 70 cases at the police stations across Ikorodu since its launch in December 2018;
  4. Partners with Total E&P, PZ, the Lagos State Judiciary, Ministry of Justice etc., in several legal aid projects held monthly;
  5. Handles Domestic violence and Child Abuse issues in partnership with other NGOs and government agencies;
  6. In partnership with Churches, mosques, traditional institutions and others in providing free legal aid services to their members and the society at large;
  7. Engaged in the protection of electricity consumer rights;
  8. Organized several CLE programs for members.

Others:

  1. Partnered with professional bodies in Lagos to form a group called “A city that Works Alliance” in preparations for the 2019 governorship elections in Lagos State;
  2. Partnered with the Nigerian medical association and other professional organizations in providing legal support and advice;
  3. Improved the electricity infrastructure of the courts in Ikorodu;
  4. Provided palliative support for the judiciary in Ikorodu;
  5. Adopted initiatives to combat charlatans and general professional misconducts.

2nd: NUMBER TWO: NBA BENIN BRANCH

Members Development Programs:

  1. Sponsored over 220 Members to the 2019 NBA AGC in Lagos and booked free rooms for them at no cost;
  2. Organization of seminars for capacity building for lawyers by the Young Lawyers Forum;
  3. Operates a Functional NBA Benin Branch Electronic Library with the full compliments of Electronic Reports;
  4. Provided Free Wi-Fi For Members at the NBA Benin Bar House;
  5. Intervention in the harassment of Lawyers and Citizens at Police Station;
  6. Embarked on a massive renovation of the Bar House, including total painting, land-scalping refurbishment  of the ACs, Ceilings, acquisition of Plasma Tv’s, acquisition of a brand new Table  Tennis Board (Donated ), lightening of the Outside Pavilion at the Bar House;
  7. Organized the Transportation of over 200 Members of the Benin Branch to the 2018 NBA Annual General Conference and organized free rooms for delegates from the Branch;
  8. Availability of a welfare regime where bereaved members and Members who marry get something (Money) from the Branch;
  9. Runs a very vibrant Branch Secretariat led by the Branch Secretary -Pius Oiwoh Esq., where any letter of good-standing required  by any member is made available at no cost to members within 30 minutes, ensures that Stamp of members that arrive from NBA National are put on the NBA Whatsapp Platforms as soon as they arrive;
  10. Runs a very vibrant Publicity Platform with Whatsapp Groups managed by Douglas Ogbankwa, made to accommodate all members of the Branch in order to obviate the limited members that can be added on Whatsapp  The branch has Whatsapp 1,2,3,4; NBA Benin Socials 1 & 2 and NBA Benin Transactions. The branch has a close synergy with the Court of Appeal Benin Front Desk Officers to ensure Court of Appeal Benin Cause Lists are posted on their Whatsapp Platforms days before the Day of Hearing;
  11. Intervened in the Kidnapping Saga in Edo State by withdrawing representation of members from armed Robbery and Kidnapping cases which led to a drastic reduction in kidnapping in Edo State;
  12. Organized a very successful 2019 NBA Benin Law Week without any external support;
  13. Organized the most glamorous self sustaining NBA Benin Dinner till date in December, 2018, that left people in awe without patronage from Government.

Community Development Programs:

  1. Has a very Active Office of the Bar Defender led by Mathias Obayuwana Esq., that has released and granted Bail to hundreds of Prisoners;
  2. Is actively involved in the Law Reform Agenda of the Edo State Ministry of Justice, participating in virtually all Committees reviewing Laws in Edo State;
  3. Has a vibrant Anti -Touting Committee  led by Lawrence Aiserewede that has stemmed any kind of Ambulance Chasing;

Others:

  1. The Nigerian Bar Association Benin Branch has been involved in screening of Judges and Judicial Officers for appointment as provided by the requisite guidelines;
  2. The NBA Benin Branch has provided a platform for synergy between the Judiciary and the Bar.

3rd: NUMBER THREE: NBA ABUJA BRANCH

A branch led by the chairman, Folarin Aluko.

Members Development Programs

  1. Lawyers’ Health Insurance Scheme

With an an annual subscription fee of N19,999 (Nineteen Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Naira) each subscriber has access to healthcare to the value of N1,500,000 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only, in more than 100 hospitals in the FCT and over 1000 hospitals all over Nigeria. It is highly subsidized. The Plan covers a variety of healthcare services. Over 200 lawyers have subscribed.

  1. NBA Digital Library & Resource Centre

The NBA Abuja Digital Library & Resource Centre is the first digital law library in Nigeria. The Centre houses 20 units and provides access to online and virtual resources accessible to lawyers free of charge. The units are multimedia functional and are used for training programs. Recent programs include ‘Microsoft PowerPoint for Lawyers’ and ‘Introduction to Tech and IP Law’.

  1. Establishment of NBA Abuja Law Practice Clinic.
  2. Establishment of Young Lawyers Training & Internship Scheme (YOLTIS) and the NBA Young Lawyers Mentoring Series.
  3. NBA Employment Desk/Job Placement Scheme which is aimed at addressing the high rate of unemployment and underemployment of young lawyers in the FCT. The Scheme interfaces with prospective employers and aggressively searches for opportunities for young lawyers in the FCT and other parts of the Country. The Scheme has secured placements for young lawyers in the FCT, Lagos, and Rivers State.
  4. The branch also has the NBA Abuja Discussion Series.
  5. NBA Flight Club: It is a collaboration between the NBA Abuja and Dana Airlines; it provide specially discounted flight rates and other incentives to lawyers flying to Abuja, Lagos, Owerri, Port Harcourt or Uyo. It is aimed at building bridges to expand practice options for our members.
  6. NBA Abuja Lawyers Monthly Workout.

Others:

  1. Advocacy and Awareness Scheme

The Advocacy and Awareness Scheme provides and develops content for the production of subject-matter videos that address a wide variety of legal concepts in Human Rights, Contract, Intellectual Property, etc, through the medium of regular and social media. We recognize the dearth of popular awareness regarding civil, social and economic rights of Nigerians. NBA Abuja videos have attracted thousands of views from different parts of the world across our social platforms. This intervention serves a dual function of informing the public and highlighting the importance of legal services including pro bono services.

  1. Anti-Corruption Resource Centre

The Anti-Corruption Resource Centre project is in partnership with CLEEN Foundation. The Centre provides access to informational resources about ongoing Corruption-related cases being prosecuted in Nigerian Courts. The Centre which houses both hard and soft copies of judgments, court documents and other literature is a one-stop-shop for anticorruption research in Nigeria.

4th: NUMBER FOUR: NBA ILORIN BRANCH

Members (Bar) Development Programs:

  1. Part-Payment of Debts owed Contractors/Suppliers for the Construction of NBA House, Ilorin;
  2. Electrification (Wiring) of Ground floor and connection of NBA House to major electricity source;
  3. Provision of NBA Ilorin State of Art Gymnasium named in honour Yusuf Ali SAN. (Completed but yet to be commissioned)
  4. Provision of Plastic Chairs to the Main Hall, NBA House, Ilorin;
  5. NBA Ilorin Commodity Scheme – Interest free soft loan of N50,000 – N100,000 were given to members to purchase any commodity of their choice. Over 70 lawyers are benefiting from the scheme;
  6. Visits /Gifts to ailing lawyers in the hospitals;
  7. Visits/Gifts to bereaved lawyers’ families;
  8. Subsidized transport and free accommodation (1st night only) during NBA AGCs; Abuja 2018 & Lagos 2019;
  9. Addressing of police and EFCC brutality of lawyers;
  10. Supports to lawyers during litigation for the enforcement of their fundamental rights against police and EFCC brutalities at the Federal and State High Courts;
  11. NBA Ilorin Annual Bar Dinner was held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Ilorin in December, 2018;
  12. A day Seminar on Alternative Disputes Resolution was successfully held in April 2019;
  13. 2019 NBA Ilorin Biennial Law Week was held in July 2019;
  14. Participation in Kwara State all professional bodies Independence Anniversary Celebration Football Competition; and
  15. NBA Monthly Keep Fit Exercise.

Community Development Programs:

  1. Visits to Federal Prisons at Oke Kura and Mandala, Ilorin for counseling and gifts to inmates; and
  2. Provision of free legal services to the indigents by NBA Ilorin Human Rights Committee.

Others:

* Publication of 638 pages Book in Honour of Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, OFR by NBA  Ilorin in conjunction with Faculty of University of Ilorin, Al-Hikmah University and Kwara State University (awaiting launching).

5th: NUMBER FIVE: NBA OTA BRANCH

Members (Bar) Development program:

  1. Organization of not less than 2 mentoring sessions and other legal activities by the branch’s YLF;
  2. Sponsorship of some young lawyers to the immediate past NBA AGC;
  3. Securing an office space that has the capacity of having 6 office spaces where colleagues can set up their law chambers;
  4. Provision of a Well-furnished cloak room with air condition and rug;
  5. Erection of the Bar Centre to the roof level;
  6. Engaging in continuous legal education of the members of utter branch on the importance of professional ethics which we as lawyers are sworn to uphold;
  7. Creation of anti-touting committee to look into cases of lawyers engaging in this infamous conduct and other shady practices which may bring the entire bar into disrepute; and
  8. Organization of AGC conference dinner for members.

Community Development Programs

  1. Building of Toilet facility commissioned at the High Court premises;
  2. Creation of pro bono committee for the benefit of indigent litigants within our jurisdiction; and
  3. Renovation of certain offices within the magistrate court premises.

The above list make-up the top five branches that have performed well. The rating was done based on available information, and independent rating assessment process. With this rating, other branches of the bar are encouraged to also do more. This rating does not, however, suggest that other branches have not done well.

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