- NBA President Afam Osigwe delivered goodwill from Nigeria’s legal community at the opening of Liberia’s Suprem Court March 2026 term
- He urged deeper collaboration between Nigerian and Liberian lawyers to strengthen justice, ethics, and regional legal integration
- Osigwe announced initiatives like training programmes, exchanges, and virtual learning to enhance advocacy, legal research, and technology adoptio
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, has called for deeper legal collaboration between Nigeria and Liberia, emphasising the critical role legal professionals play in strengthening justice systems across West Africa.
Osigwe made the remarks while speaking at the formal opening of the March 2026 term of the Supreme Court of Liberia. His message was later shared in a statement posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
Delivering goodwill on behalf of Nigeria’s legal community, Osigwe conveyed “warm goodwill and solidarity from the Nigerian legal community to the Bench and Bar of Liberia.”
He described the commencement of the court’s new term as an important institutional tradition that reflects the judiciary’s enduring commitment to justice, the rule of law and democratic governance.
According to him, the opening of a court term goes beyond ceremonial significance, representing a renewed pledge by legal professionals to uphold constitutional values and ensure justice remains accessible to citizens.
“The opening of a court term is not merely ceremonial but represents a renewed affirmation of the legal profession’s sacred duty to safeguard constitutional values, promote institutional integrity and ensure that justice remains accessible to all,” he said.
Osigwe commended Liberia’s judiciary for its dedication to strengthening democratic institutions and maintaining public confidence in the justice system.
He noted that the country’s Bench and Bar continue to demonstrate resilience in defending constitutional democracy and upholding the rule of law.
Highlighting the long-standing relationship between the two countries, Osigwe said Nigeria and Liberia share deep historical ties and a common vision for a stable and prosperous West Africa.
He stressed that legal communities in both nations have a vital role to play in advancing that vision through collaboration, knowledge exchange and collective advocacy.
Osigwe further noted that the rapidly evolving global legal environment requires Bars and legal professionals to remain proactive and innovative in addressing emerging challenges affecting justice delivery.
He reaffirmed the NBA’s commitment to strengthening professional cooperation with Liberia through initiatives such as structured training programmes, joint conferences, young lawyers’ exchange schemes and virtual learning platforms.
According to him, these initiatives would help improve advocacy standards, strengthen ethics compliance, deepen legal research culture and promote specialisation in emerging areas of legal practice linked to governance and economic development.
On regional integration, the NBA president stressed that harmonising legal frameworks and enhancing cooperation among legal practitioners would strengthen cross-border legal services, arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution across West Africa.
He also highlighted the growing influence of technology in legal practice, urging Bars and judiciaries in the region to collaborate on innovations such as electronic filing systems, virtual hearings, legal technology adoption, cybersecurity awareness and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence into legal work.
Osigwe concluded by expressing optimism that the March 2026 court term would strengthen institutions, promote principled advocacy and enhance public trust in the justice system.
He assured Liberia’s Bench and Bar of the continued partnership and solidarity of the Nigerian Bar Association in advancing the rule of law and building a stronger regional legal community.