Annual Business Law Conference in view
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Business Law (SBL) last week held the 8th edition of its Annual Business Law Conference at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
The event, which opened with a welcome cocktail at the Abora/Mazonia Suite of the same venue, had some major and critical highlights within the three days the programme held.
At the opening ceremony, which took place on Monday, May 26, 2014, Special Guest and Keynote Speaker, Lord Mark Malloch Brown threw up issues from the conference theme ‘Exemplary governance; enhancing economic growth and development,’ and noted that the most striking dynamics of a country was its ability to attract foreign investors to invest in its economy.
“And if there is a frontline in the fight for a better Nigeria, it starts with you lawyers,” he said.
“It hurts to note that almost half of Nigerians are leaving school without placing literacy in place. Nigeria is made up of two major economic groups, ‘the rich North and the poor south’ but there’s a quality of transparency in the Niger Delta. I say to you members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Accountability must rest in your court system to enhance the promotion of justice,” he stated.
Commending the efforts of the Lagos State Governor, Lord Brown who is the former deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Vice Chairman of the Soros Investment Funds, noted that Governor Fashola has been particularly recognised and distinguished for exemplary leadership the world over.
“The International Community recognises Nigeria, but Nigeria has a moral obligation to build a legal system that will grow and develop the nation; one that this great nation deserves.”
On his part, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, who declared the conference open, highlighted the basics of good governance and the need for Nigerians to vote right.
“Until we agree on what constitutes good governance, it would be difficult to achieve it. If the professional class can work at this, we can climb out of the pit of despair.
“What other countries have done successfully is that they haven’t suffered bad government ‘gladly’. Our right to good governance does not depend on what the other party does, but rather what we do; how we decide to vote and who we decide to vote for. This is how we ensure good governance,” Gov. Fashola said.
In a goodwill message, Justice Tsoho of the Federal High Court conveyed the message of the Chief Judge, which was accompanied with high assurances. “The Federal High Court is ever willing to partner with the SBL in pursuit of its laudable initiatives. I hope that flag be kept flying even higher,” he said.
Also delivering a message from the Chief Judge of Lagos State, the Head Judge of the Lagos High Court, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade stated that Nigeria without doubt had a strong appetite for economic growth and development.
“It was based on this, that we have been named the largest economy in Africa, thus there must be strict adherence of the rule of law; as a sound judiciary is the key to a successful system of government,” Atilade read from the Chief Judge’s address.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the NBA Section on Business Law, Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, noted that the theme of the conference was apt and relevant to this time.
“In a year where the Nigerian economy has just been rebased and we have become the biggest economy on the continent, it is important that in the face of these economic achievements we recognise that we cannot achieve success and reduce income inequality without good governance,” he encouraged.
The 2014 conference, which was a convergence of legal practitioners, the business community, policy makers, regulators and the media, has been described as a remarkable success by observers.