By Lucy Ogalue
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for increased collaboration with Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) to expand opportunities for lawyers.
The opportunities are to be expanded through specialised training and professional development.
The President of NBA, Afam Osigwe, said this on Thursday when the President of BRIPAN, Mr Chimezie Ihekweazu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) led a delegation to visit him in Abuja.
The NBA president emphasised the importance of empowering lawyers to explore non-traditional areas of practice and adapt to emerging opportunities in the legal profession.
He said that many lawyers were unaware of their full potential due to a lack of exposure to diverse fields such as business recovery and insolvency practice.
“So many lawyers can make more if only they realise that they have a lot of potential.
“So, it is important for members to venture beyond the traditional confines of legal practice,” he said.
To address this gap, the NBA president reiterated the need for more collaboration with BRIPAN to provide subsidised training programmes for young lawyers across the country.
“We will devote a certain amount of money towards training young lawyers in different regions from 2025.
“This training will align with professional guidelines and contribute to continuing legal education credits under Rules 11 and 12 of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
“There is need to deepen knowledge within the legal community to ensure compliance with professional standards. Many lawyers may not know what the law has provided unless they go for training,’’ he said.
Emphasising the importance of financial sustainability for lawyers, the NBA president restated the need for improved remuneration and professional growth opportunities.
Osigwe advocated for a culture of continuous learning.
“A profession that earns well is a happy profession. I will rather deal with a lawyer that is comfortable than one who is struggling,” he said.
He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to fostering partnerships that elevate the standard of legal practice in Nigeria.
“Anything that opens up doors for lawyers to do what they are not used to doing, take it for granted that I will be a part of it,” he said.
He expressed optimism about the future of the profession through collaborative efforts.
Earlier, the BRIPAN president, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting the Osigwe led administration of the NBA.
According to Ihekweazu , BRIPAN is the only insolvency association recognised under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) that offered specialised training for professionals.
He said the purpose of the visit was to seek for deeper collaboration and cooperation with the NBA to foster growth and development of its members, especially through training.
“We want to cooperate and collaborate more with the NBA.
“We want to support your administration in terms of insolvency training for members to enable them benefit from the opportunities there in,’’ Ihekweazu said.
NAN