The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) has announced the winners of its 2026 Essay, Poetry and Spoken Word Competition, recognising six law students and young lawyers for their contributions to discussions on justice, democracy, development and public-interest law in Nigeria.
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The Chair of NBA-SPIDEL, Dr. Uju Agomoh, an Associate Professor, announced the results in a statement issued in Umuahia, Abia State, on Monday, November 9, 2026, ahead of the Section’s 2026 Annual Conference.
The competition, organised under the conference theme, “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development,” provided an opportunity for law students and young lawyers to demonstrate, through essays, poetry and spoken word, how the law could be deployed to advance the public good.
According to Agomoh, the competition attracted 57 entries from universities and branches of the Nigerian Bar Association across the country, with each submission assessed by a Judging Sub-Committee using a published evaluation rubric.
She explained that the initiative was part of NBA-SPIDEL’s continuing commitment to encouraging young members of the legal profession to develop their knowledge, advocacy skills and interest in public-interest law.
The Chair noted that the 2026 competition built on a similar exercise conducted in connection with the Section’s 2025 Annual Conference.
She disclosed that the SPIDEL Committee on Capacity Building, Knowledge Management and Mentoring, chaired by Dr. Ike Ukam, was working in partnership with the Section’s leadership to strengthen the competition and ensure its sustainability.
Announcing the results in the law students’ category, Agomoh named Favour Ofie Ebiala of the University of Calabar as the first-place winner for an essay titled “The People’s Account,” with a cash prize of ₦75,000.
Frank Okike of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, emerged as the second-place winner with an essay titled “Beyond the Courtroom, Beyond the Gown,” earning a cash prize of ₦50,000.
The third position went to Madu Chidera Ebenezer, also of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, whose essay, “The Architecture of Disruption,” attracted a cash prize of ₦25,000.
In the young lawyers’ category, Obiorah Chibuzor Victor, who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2026, emerged as the first-place winner with an essay titled “Picking the Padlock,” earning ₦75,000.
Unamadu Chisom Emmanuel, called to the Bar in 2024, secured second place for an essay titled “Closing the Door on Qualification,” with a cash prize of ₦50,000.
Ismail Mustapha, also called to the Bar in 2024, finished third with an essay titled “Justice Must Leave the Courtroom,” winning ₦25,000.
Agomoh congratulated the six winners and disclosed that their prizes would be presented during the 2026 NBA-SPIDEL Annual Conference.
Reflecting on the quality of submissions, the Chair commended the participants for addressing practical legal and social challenges confronting Nigeria rather than merely reproducing the conference theme.
According to her, the entries demonstrated serious engagement with issues such as pre-trial detention, electoral justice, mob violence, the enforcement of socio-economic rights and accountability in public spending.
“What stood out in this year’s entries was their seriousness. The strongest did not simply repeat the conference theme. They took real Nigerian problems, such as pre-trial detention, electoral justice, mob violence, the enforcement of socio-economic rights and public accountability for spending, and argued them with law, evidence and imagination,” she stated.
Agomoh added that the winning essays went beyond identifying societal problems by challenging the legal profession to examine its responsibilities in addressing them.
“Our winning essays went further and asked hard questions of the legal profession itself. That is exactly the spirit in which SPIDEL was established,” she said.
The NBA-SPIDEL Chair also recognised participants whose submissions narrowly missed the top three positions in their respective categories.
She specifically commended Rachael Ajisafe of Olabisi Onabanjo University and Anagha Favour Chidiogo of Lagos State University for their outstanding poems.
She also acknowledged Ezedinugwu Henry Odira for his essay on extrajudicial punishment and Goto Emmanuel for submitting what she described as the strongest poem among the young lawyers.
Agomoh encouraged all participants to continue developing their writing and advocacy skills, stressing that their contributions demonstrated the commitment of emerging legal professionals to public-interest issues.
“To every participant: your work shows that the next generation of the Bar takes the public interest seriously, and I encourage you to keep writing, advocating and serving,” she stated.
She also expressed appreciation to members of the Judging Sub-Committee for their careful and independent assessment of the 57 entries.
The Chair particularly commended Dr. Kenechukwu Agwu and Dr. Martins Idachaba for their diligence, rigour and commitment to completing the assessment within a limited period.
She equally thanked the Competition Secretariat for coordinating the exercise, as well as the hosts in Abia State and other individuals involved in organising the 2026 Annual Conference.
Reaffirming the purpose of the competition, Agomoh maintained that public-interest law must be assessed by its practical impact on ordinary people, particularly those affected by injustice, exclusion and inadequate access to essential services.
“The public interest is not an abstract idea. It is measured by whether the law reaches the person in the cell, the voter at the polling unit and the community waiting for a road, a school or a clinic,” she declared.
She assured participants that NBA-SPIDEL would continue providing opportunities for law students and young lawyers to engage with issues affecting the public and contribute to the advancement of justice, democracy and development.
“SPIDEL will continue to give young lawyers and law students a platform to make that case,” Agomoh concluded.
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