The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly opposed an agreement allowing United Kingdom attorneys to practice and offer legal services in Nigeria. NBA President Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) criticized the proposed Enhanced Trade Investment Partnership Agreement between Nigeria and the UK, citing its negative impact on the local legal profession.
Termed as the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), this agreement signifies the UK’s first foray into such a deal with an African nation. While the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment lauded the agreement as groundbreaking and potentially beneficial for Nigeria, the NBA emphasized its non-support and lack of involvement in the negotiations.
President Maikyau reiterated the NBA’s stance during a workshop in October 2023, where concerns were raised about the unpreparedness of the Nigerian legal system for such an arrangement. He highlighted the significant knowledge and skills gap between Nigerian and UK lawyers, posing challenges to fair competition.
The NBA strongly criticized the government’s unilateral decision to pursue the agreement without consulting or considering the concerns of the legal profession. President Maikyau condemned the move as insensitive and harmful to the livelihoods of Nigerian legal practitioners and their dependents.
In response, the NBA vowed to explore all available legal avenues to challenge the agreement’s legality, signaling its readiness to escalate the matter to the highest judicial authority in the country.
Speaking to Favour Esosa, a Legal practitioner and human activist, she expressed her concern, stating, “I feel that is a very good idea as long as Nigeria was colonized by the British and most of our laws are marked out of the British system, it will make Nigeria laws less effective and make foreign lawyers have more edge over Nigerian lawyers.”
The NBA’s rejection underscores deep-seated concerns within the legal community regarding the potential repercussions of opening up the legal services sector to foreign practitioners. The ensuing legal battle between the NBA and the government is poised to shape the future landscape of legal practice in Nigeria.
