Over membership shortfall.
Seventeen branches of the Nigerian Bar Association are at risk of losing their status following
a breach of the minimum membership requirement stipulated in the NBA Constitution as amended in 2025.
Section 16 (1) (iii) of the Constitution provides that a branch of the Association shall consist of not less than 50 registered members who have their principal places of practice or residence within the judicial division of the State High Court where the branch is situated. In addition, Section 16 (1) (vii) empowers the National Executive Council (NEC) to withdraw recognition of any branch whose membership falls below fifty (50) members in good financial standing for two consecutive years.
Findings, based on the list of licensed lawyers for 2026 published on the NBA website (nigerianbar.org.ng), show that the following branches have fallen below the constitutional threshold: Ankpa Branch 32 members, Funtua Branch 49 members, Iseyin Branch 32 members, Iwo Branch 26 members, Kabba Branch 38 members, Kafanchan Branch 46 members, Katagum Branch 46 members, Mubi Branch 41 members, Offa Branch 34 members, Okene Branch 43 members, Oron Branch 47 members, Oru-Oguta Branch 32 members, Oyigbo Branch 29 members, Pankshin Branch 37 members, Saki Branch 35 members, Udi Branch 36 members, and Wukari Branch 39 members.
Further concern has emerged from an internal structural reality within some of the affected branches. If the full Executive Committee, typically comprising about 17 elected and unelected officials, is constituted in these branches, the number of ordinary members left outside the executive structure would in some cases drop below 20 members.
Although these branches have not yet been dissolved, they are no longer qualified to operate as branches under the Constitution and now face the risk of withdrawal of recognition by the NEC if the situation persists for two consecutive years as required by law.
Further checks reveal that this is not an entirely new development, as records from previous NBA election voters’ lists for 2020, 2022, and 2024 indicate that some of the affected branches have remained below the 50-member threshold for several years without any apparent enforcement action by the NEC.
The development has renewed concerns about the sustainability of smaller branches, particularly in areas experiencing declining lawyer population and participation. Observers note that while the constitutional provision is intended to ensure
administrative effectiveness and active engagement, it also places pressure on underperforming branches to significantly improve their membership strength or face eventual restructuring.
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