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Legal Diary News The football competition at the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference (NBA AGC) in Port Harcourt ended in spectacular fashion as the NBA Abuja Branch (Unity Bar) Amazons were crowned champions of the Women’s President’s Cup after overcoming NBA Bwari Branch in a dramatic final decided by penalties. In a pulsating and fiercely contested championship encounter, the Unity Bar Amazons defeated NBA Bwari 3–2 on penalties after both teams could not be separated at the end of regulation time, which finished 1–1 . The final produced everything expected of a championship encounter: intensity, determination, tactical discipline and moments of high drama as both sides battled for the coveted trophy. Neither team was willing to concede ground easily. After an intense regulation period ended with honours even at 1–1, the contest proceeded to the nerve-racking penalty shootout. It was there that the Unity Bar Amazons demonstrated re...

Those who attended the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Enugu last year will recall that I wrote what many described as a scintillating assessment of that conference. My verdict at the time was unequivocal: the Enugu Conference would remain one of the most memorable NBA Annual General Conferences in recent history, particularly in terms of organisation, movement around the host city, environmental friendliness, traffic management and the warmth of hospitality. The only minus, minute though, was prominence given to new wigs over old wigs.  There is little doubt that the glowing reports and eulogies that followed the Enugu Conference from many participants contributed significantly to the tremendous increase in attendance at this year's conference in Port Harcourt. Younger lawyers, in particular, came in torrents, eager to experience what they had been told was the NBA Conference at its very best. Sadly, my interim report so far is one of profound dis...

Legal Diary News The need for Nigerian lawyers to embrace financial literacy, proper pricing, transparent billing and effective fee recovery took centre stage at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt. The highly engaging session, titled “The Business of Fees: How Lawyers Should Price, Bill, and Get Paid,” focused on the theme, “Pricing Strategy, Client Value, and Fee Recovery in Modern Legal Practice.” The session was moderated by Emeka Obegolu, SAN, Chairman of the NBA Remuneration Committee , and featured a distinguished panel comprising Bode Olanipekun, SAN; Ikechukwu Ekwueme; Chinyere Okorocha; Aisha Ado Abdullahi; and Isdore Ozuo. The panel examined one of the practical challenges confronting modern legal practice: how lawyers can properly value their professional services, communicate that value to clients, structure their fees and ensure professional recovery of fees without compromising ethical st...

…Receives Warm Welcome from Hundreds of Lawyers, Special Recognition at NBA Conference Social commentator and activist, VeryDarkMan (VDM) , has responded to the debate surrounding his appearance at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, explaining that his participation was not intended to lecture lawyers on the law but to contribute to the national conversation on insecurity and the justice system. Addressing hundreds of lawyers at the Conference, VDM sought to put the controversy over his invitation in perspective, stressing that his intervention was rooted in his experiences dealing with issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, particularly insecurity. “I’m not here to teach you law… your Lords are being kidnapped.” His remarks drew attention to the disturbing security challenges confronting Nigerians, including members of the legal profession and judicial officers, and underscored the need for stronge...

As the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference (NBA-AGC) 2026 continues in Port Harcourt, the NBA Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP) is set to host an important session focused on one of the most practical issues confronting legal practitioners: how to properly price legal services, bill clients and get paid for the value they provide. The session, themed “The Business of Fees: How Lawyers Should Price, Bill and Get Paid,” will hold on Wednesday, 26th August 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Chief Charles Idehen, Esq. Hall, Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The conversation is expected to address the realities of running a sustainable legal practice, particularly the need for lawyers to understand the commercial value of their professional services. Discussions will explore effective fee-setting, professional billing practices, client engagement, fee recovery and practical approaches to ensuring that lawyers are adequatel...

The Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch (Unity Bar), has announced arrangements for the distribution of 2026 NBA Annual General Conference (AGC) tags to members of the Branch who are yet to receive theirs. The distribution exercise is scheduled to take place today, Sunday, 23rd August 2026, between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt , venue of the 2026 NBA Annual General Conference. For ease of identification and to ensure that members can locate the distribution point without difficulty, the NBA Abuja Branch team is stationed at the VIP Area of the Stadium, Entrance Door 5, First Room on the Left. Members of the Unity Bar who have not received their conference tags are therefore encouraged to proceed to the designated location within the stated time. Members are also advised to cooperate with officials coordinating the exercise to ensure an orderly and seamless distribution process. The arrangement is part of the Branch's effort...