Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has urged the association’s sections, committees and fora to aid professional development and continuing legal education.

He spoke at the NBA Section on Legal Practice (SLP) conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Mahmoud praised the SLP leadership for organising “such a wonderful conference” shortly after the reconstitution of its council.

The conference theme was: Re-thinking and Re-tooling Legal Practice for the Challenges of our Time.

Mahmoud said: “I am confident that very soon, the SLP will record, like its sister section, the Section on Business Law, the giant strides that will put it at par with or even surpass the SBL.

“Sections were introduced in the NBA as vehicles for deepening professionalism at the Bar. Sections are expected to promote continuing professional development.”

Mahmoud said  sections and their committees should create value for members.

“We are currently looking at ways we can even strengthen these. We are considering proposing changes to the NBA constitution that would make it mandatory for every member of the association to belong to committees and sections of the Bar to aid professional development and continuing legal education for which the sections should be the primary vehicles.

“That would mean that our members would earn their mandatory Continuing Professional Development ( CPD)  points on the basis of their participation in various committee activities relevant to their areas of practice or interest.

“This we hope will aid our vision for the promotion of specialisation in legal practice, thereby enhancing the quality of legal practice in the country and consequently the economic fortunes of our members,” Mahmoud said.

According to him, the sections need to work with the NBA National Secretariat to review their operations, establish rules, guidelines and protocols to facilitate the new model.

“I, therefore, call on the leadership of NBA Sections to further strengthen their administration and governance structures to enable them deliver on this mandate. Branches of our association should also take cue from this and reorganize themselves accordingly,” Mahmoud said.

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, was represented by Justice A. A. B Gumel.

Participants at the two-day event included Commonwealth Lawyers Association president Mr. Santhaan Krishanan, NBA General Secretary, Isiaka Olagunju and former NBA presidents Chief T.J. Okpoko (SAN), OCJ Okocha (SAN) and Mr. Okey Wali (SAN).

Also present were Chief Arthur-Obi Okafor (SAN), Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) and Mazi Afam Osigwe.