*Says Nigerian Law Society Has Thousands of Members Despite Stiff Opposition
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Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN, has made a passionate case for the acceptance of multiple bar associations in Nigeria, arguing that a single umbrella body is insufficient to serve the over 250,000 lawyers in the country.
Speaking during an intervention at the 2025 International Bar Association (IBA) conference,Toronto 2025, on the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Association & Right to Peaceful Assembly, Gadzama questioned the rationale behind the stiff opposition to the Nigerian Law Society (NLS), which he disclosed has thousands of members.
“A new association in Nigeria, the Nigerian Law Society, has witnessed a very stiff opposition. In fact, the association has thousands of members,” Gadzama stated.
He contrasted this with other countries, noting: “We have had the last intervener having just 500 somewhere. So many other countries have just less than 500 as total number of lawyers in their jurisdictions or countries.”
Gadzama disclosed that despite a court order directing the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to issue a certificate of registration to the Nigerian Law Society, the CAC has refused to comply.
“Despite the refusal of the Corporate Affairs Commission to register, having been ordered by the court to give a certificate, and who is also here as a participant at this conference, things are not really being done properly in different sectors in our country with all the challenges we’re facing,” he said.
The Senior Advocate cited numerous examples of countries with multiple bar associations to support his position.
Ukraine: “I know of Ukraine in Miami over there, when the president of the Ukrainian bar and the president of the Ukrainian Law Society were appreciated and given plaques.”
South Africa: “In South Africa, you have now nine bar associations.”
Syria and Gambia: He also mentioned Syria and Gambia as countries with multiple bar associations despite smaller lawyer populations.
United Kingdom: “In UK, I belong to the International Division of the Law Society of England and Wales. I have been called to the English bar as far back as 2008.”
Gadzama framed the issue within the broader context of lawyers’ role in society.
“My understanding of what the role of a lawyer is, is to promote the defense and the safeguard of human rights in whatever form,” he stated.
He argued that Nigeria’s large legal population requires multiple platforms for expression.
“What’s wrong in having those platforms? Because they are not there to fight themselves, but why the opposition in a country where you have over 250,000 lawyers and one umbrella, one body is certainly not enough to give them the opportunity, the platform to express their position individually, corporately, in the fight and the promotion of rights of groups, individuals in our country.”
Referencing the conference keynote address, Gadzama emphasized the importance of courage in the legal profession.
“We’ve listened to the keynote on Sunday, when we were told that the most important attribute of any lawyer is what? Courage. That courage is needed everywhere.”
@thenigerialawyer "One Umbrella Body Not Enough For Over 250,000 Lawyers In Nigeria" — Gadzama, SAN Cites Global Examples At IBA Conference
Responding to Gadzama, Deborah Enix-Ross, Secretary-General of the IBA and former President of the American Bar Association, a lawyer licensed in New York, provided an international perspective that supported Gadzama’s position.
“I’m licensed in New York. There is a New York State Bar Association that is a voluntary bar association, so I don’t have to belong to that bar. But I do, or I did, as well as the American Bar Association, because they offer different things.”
Deborah suggested that multiple bar associations could be beneficial.
“I would have thought that a bit of healthy competition is good in any jurisdiction, provided that these bar associations are independent.”
However, she emphasized that all bar associations must uphold certain standards.
“The key is that any bar association has to stand for some fundamental principles, including the support of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, independent legal profession.”
The intervention comes amid ongoing controversy in Nigeria over the legitimacy of the Nigerian Law Society and whether multiple bar associations should be permitted to operate within the same jurisdiction.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has maintained that it is the sole representative body for lawyers in Nigeria, a position reinforced by court decisions declaring NBA membership mandatory for all legal practitioners.
However, proponents of the Nigerian Law Society, including its President Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, SAN, have argued for a pluralistic framework that allows multiple bar associations to coexist.
The matter has been the subject of legal battles, with the Corporate Affairs Commission’s refusal to register the NLS despite court orders becoming a point of contention.
Gadzama’s disclosure that the CAC representative was present at the IBA conference adds another dimension to the controversy.
Professor Ernest Ojukwu, SAN, has previously argued that there can be only one Bar Association per jurisdiction, citing Commonwealth and United States precedents.
However, Gadzama’s intervention at the IBA conference presents a counter-narrative, citing examples of multiple bar associations coexisting in various jurisdictions worldwide.
The debate over multiple bar associations in Nigeria touches on fundamental questions about:
- Freedom of association
- The regulatory framework for the legal profession
- The balance between unity and diversity within the profession
- The adequacy of existing structures to serve Nigeria’s large legal community
According to the intervention recording, Gadzama’s comments were met with applause from the audience, suggesting resonance with his position among international legal practitioners.
Despite the intervention and the international examples cited, several questions remain unresolved:
- Can Nigeria’s legal framework accommodate multiple bar associations?
- What would be the regulatory implications?
- How would disciplinary mechanisms work?
- What would be the relationship between multiple bar associations and existing regulatory bodies like the Body of Benchers and Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee?
The fundamental question remains: In a country with over 250,000 lawyers, is one umbrella body sufficient, or should healthy competition among independent bar associations be encouraged, as Gadzama and the international respondent suggested?
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