The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly criticized the recent agreement permitting United Kingdom (UK) attorneys to practice law in Nigeria, denouncing it as an affront to the nation’s legal profession and a disregard for due consultation.
In an email addressed to lawyers of the NBA, President Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) expressed dismay over the purported signing of the Enhanced Trade Investment Partnership Agreement between Nigeria and the UK, which reportedly includes provisions allowing UK lawyers to operate within Nigeria’s legal system. Maikyau highlighted the lack of consultation with the NBA regarding such a significant decision, describing it as “ridiculous, unpatriotic, and uninformed.”
The agreement, hailed by the Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment as groundbreaking, has sparked widespread discontent within and outside the legal community in Nigeria. Maikyau emphasized that the NBA had consistently opposed any agreement compromising Nigeria’s legal space during meetings with officials of the Law Society of England & Wales and the Bar Council of England & Wales. He underscored the extensive knowledge and skills gap between Nigerian and UK lawyers, asserting that Nigerian legal professionals cannot compete favorably if such an agreement were to be implemented.
Maikyau criticized the UK’s apparent pursuit of opportunities for its lawyers while Nigeria seeks to restrict opportunities for its legal practitioners. He condemned the lack of consultation with the NBA and declared the agreement unacceptable in its entirety. The NBA, under Maikyau’s leadership, vowed to challenge the legality of the agreement, signaling its readiness to pursue litigation up to the Supreme Court if necessary. Additionally, Maikyau called on all NBA members to prepare for the forthcoming struggle to defend the legal profession’s integrity and sovereignty.
The condemnation by the NBA follows the announcement by the UK’s Department of Business and Trade of a new deal aimed at enhancing trade, investments, and partnerships with Nigeria across various sectors.
