NBA and American Bar Association to partner for capacity building

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the American Bar Association (ABA) have ‘agreed in principle’ to sign a memorandum of understanding on the training of young, bright and vibrant lawyers of Nigerian extraction who are desirous of reaching the pinnacle of their career by adapting to international best practice.  

The agreement was part of the activities lined up for the NBA President at the on-going Miami Florida Conference of the ABA Where the NBA President was also given the opportunity to address the Council meeting with his ABA counterpart. 

The MOU, which is expected to be ratified by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA in November, will be for a three-year period.

The ABA intervention when implemented will include sending young Nigerian Lawyers to the United States for mentorship in leading American law firms subject to immigration requirements. 

The ABA is also expected under the agreement to provide faculties for the NBA Annual General Conference and hold a session at the 2018 edition. The ABA will also share her experience with the NBA on the best ways to reform the regulatory architecture of the Legal profession in Nigeria.  

The NBA delegation which was led by President Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, OON, SAN has the welfare Secretary; Adesina Adegbite, Esq. and Ngozi Ndidi; National  Financial Secretary; Muritala Abdul-Rasheed, Chief of staff to the NBA President; Zainab Animashaun; Policy and Strategy Adviser to the NBA President, Banke Oloba of Akure Branch, Hajia Fatima  Batulu  Mohamed of Bauchi Branch and Anullika Osigwe of Abuja Branch.  

It will be recalled that the NBA President at a side meeting during the AGC 2017 in Lagos had similar discussion with the South African Bar. Later in November this year the President will lead a high power NBA delegation to the United Kingdom to inter alia extend the frontiers of international cooperation with the Nigerian Bar. The November UK mission has the President and Secretary of the Young Lawyers forum as members.