The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Lagos branch on Friday said 80 per cent of young lawyers who graduate from Law School every year end up in Lagos because Lagos is the commercial hub of Nigeria.
It said that it was important for the Lagos Island NBA branch to train them properly, mentor them, and equip them properly for the profession they were going to join.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday held at Folashade Alli & Associates Chambers Ikoyi Lagos state, the Chairman, of NBA Lagos Branch, Ikechukwu Uwanna said they were going to induct the young lawyers’ programme as that will give them an opportunity to welcome them into their fold and tell them how to navigate to become great lawyers.
Uwanna stated that out of the 5,000 lawyers who graduate from law school every year, 80 per cent ends up in Lagos, adding that most of them join the Lagos Island NBA branch and they are passionate about mentorship of the young one that’s why they have made provision for the new wig induction training programme.
He said this while talking about the activities of the Lagos NBA Law Week coming up on Monday through Friday, June 23, with the theme of this year’s Law Week, “Facing the Future: Law in a Globalised Economy”.
“NBA Lagos branch over the years had cultivated this tradition that has taken it further to have a law week every year and our law week is the intellectual festival of our branch members.
“The NBA Lagos branch has over 14,000 members and it’s the biggest branch of the NBA and we have robust members who are quite interested in having their intellectual capacity always rejuvenated so they can impact in the legal sphere,” he said.
Also speaking at the event the chairman 2023 Law Week Planning Committee, Adewale Adesokan SAN, said the programme promises to be engaging as there is an array of intellectuals that would engage in a lot of topics.
According to him, there would be about nine breaking sessions where various topics such as globalised economy, the ease of doing business in Nigeria, regulations of doing business in Nigeria, Data protection law, artificial intelligence transforming the judiciary, and restoration of civil disputes among others.
Adesokan stated that it is not in doubt that our nation is on the verge of change and is gripped by anxiety, having just had a change of government following a general election. In the midst of it, there is a consensus that the Nigerian economy needs serious attention.
“The current exchange rate of the naira against major currencies around the world, an inflation rate of approximately 22.4%, and the humongous debt burden of about N77 Trillion left by the last administration, have contributed to created anxiety and apprehension about what lies in the short, medium, and long-term future of the nation and the well-being of its citizens.
“While Nigeria continues to grapple with these issues, the march of science and technology outside the shores of the country has manifested in the evolution of Artificial Intelligence, the advent of cryptocurrency, and other forms of e-money.
“The disruptions created in the world economy by the Russian / Ukraine War, the apprehension around the continued relevance of fossil fuel (which is the source of Nigerian’s major foreign exchange and energy) in the future, and the advancement of e-commerce, have all combined to throw up fresh challenges to the Nigerian nation and its new leaders.
“The Legal Profession is at the forefront of those reckoned as leaders and policy influencers in Nigeria today. As newly elected leaders settle into the business of governance, the plenary sessions of the Law Week of The Premier
Branch offer a distinct opportunity for the legal profession to take its rightful place in the interrogation of these all-important issues and proffer practical solutions, not just for government at all levels, but all other Stakeholders in the Nigerian nation,” he said.
In this article