Concerns have emerged over the condition of the venue used for the opening ceremony of the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Port Harcourt, after videos taken on Monday morning showed discarded bottles and other waste around parts of the auditorium following Sunday’s event.
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The opening ceremony of the conference was held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with thousands of lawyers, dignitaries and other participants attending the event.
Footage shared on Monday morning showed chairs still arranged within the venue while plastic bottles and other refuse could be seen on parts of the floor, prompting complaints from some conference participants over the state in which the auditorium had been left.
One participant drew the attention of the NBA leadership to the situation, writing: “Mr. President and our learned Silk, good morning. Please, the auditorium is messy.”
A subsequent message indicated that the matter received prompt attention, with the Local Organising Committee contacted and cleaners deployed to the venue.
“Action President placed a call to the LOC and cleaners came. Thank God for his prompt response. Learned Silk Afam Osigwe, thanks,” the participant stated.
Videos subsequently seen showed cleaning personnel moving through the auditorium with large refuse bags and clearing waste from between the rows of chairs.
The incident, however, has also generated a broader conversation about whether responsibility for maintaining cleanliness at a major conference should rest entirely on the organisers.
One participant criticised the practice of dropping refuse at the point where it is consumed rather than disposing of it properly, arguing that conference attendees also have a responsibility to keep the environment clean.
@thenigerialawyerNBA Conference Venue Left Littered After Opening Ceremony — Cleaners Move In As Questions Arise Over Waste Bins, Delegates’ Responsibility
While the Local Organising Committee has a responsibility to provide adequate waste-disposal facilities and ensure regular cleaning of a venue accommodating thousands of delegates, participants equally have a duty not to litter the premises.
It was not immediately clear from the available footage whether sufficient and clearly accessible refuse bins had been positioned throughout the auditorium during Sunday’s opening ceremony.
That question is significant because a gathering of the size of the NBA Annual General Conference will inevitably generate considerable waste, requiring strategically positioned bins, frequent waste collection and an effective post-event cleaning arrangement.
At the same time, the absence or inadequacy of disposal facilities, if established, would not justify indiscriminate littering by attendees. Lawyers and other delegates are expected to dispose of bottles, food packs and other waste responsibly rather than leave them beneath chairs or around the auditorium.
The development therefore presents a shared responsibility: organisers must provide adequate waste-disposal infrastructure, while delegates must make use of such facilities and maintain reasonable standards of cleanliness.
The prompt deployment of cleaners following the complaint appeared to have addressed the immediate situation, with the response drawing appreciation from the participant who initially raised the alarm.
The episode nevertheless offers a reminder that the success of a conference of this scale goes beyond the quality of its speakers, sessions and logistics. Maintaining a clean and orderly environment requires cooperation between the NBA, the LOC, cleaning personnel and the thousands of lawyers attending the conference.
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