I am very happy that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is going to court, after the federal government’s bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom, will possibly allow UK lawyers to practice law in Nigeria, according to Premium Times.
The agreement, Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), will among other things open the path for English lawyers to practice law in Nigeria, and in the process compete with Nigerian lawyers. Of course, if that stands, the Nigerian lawyers will struggle since the big men in Nigeria will likely prefer UK lawyers representing them in Nigerian courts!
People, is your lawyer a “white man” or are you still using these local lawyers? I pity Nigerian lawyers, economically of course. “Please go to court!”- you know what I mean. Hopefully, when you guys finish, you will push for necessary changes in the Nigerian judiciary.
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To the federal government, I do not support your thesis. Allowing British lawyers to practice in Nigeria will not improve investments in Nigeria. Rather, improving our judicial efficiency will do. Unless the British lawyers will have their own courts and judges, I am not sure what the difference will be.
I am very happy that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is going to court, after the federal government’s bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom, will possibly allow UK lawyers to practice law in Nigeria, according to Premium Times.
The agreement, Enhanced Trade and… pic.twitter.com/wTuqTs9EYH
— Ndubuisi Ekekwe (@ndekekwe) February 17, 2024
With this, Nigerian Law School London will be opened (I posit), and the kids of the “leaders’ can attend the London campus, live in London and practice law in Nigeria. What a plan!
Comment on Feed
Comment 1: “It will see the UK and Nigeria’s shared aspiration to facilitate each other’s lawyers practising foreign and international law in each other’s jurisdictions”- Nigerian lawyers could also practice in the UK directly. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-signs-landmark-economic-partnership-with-
My Response: In your argument, Nigeria would not have required local content regulations in the oil and gas sector since Nigerian engineers can go to Texas and build oil wells, flow stations, etc. But Nigeria has that to protect the “weaker side”. My understanding is that you try to protect the weaker side, and Nigeria is weak within the context. How many British brands will hire Nigerian lawyers to represent them in British Courts? If you do this, the balance of legal services may be 1:100 which means for every $1 made in the UK by Nigerian lawyers, UK lawyers are making $100 in Nigeria. Indeed, most foreign companies will use UK law firms for their operations in Nigeria.
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The agreement should include UK judges and politicians too, since they might prefer to merge UK with Nigeria once again. You can also work for the FG and get your salaries paid in pounds by the UK government.
The same way some people on this platform advance ideas that have no practical basis in reality, is also how you have folks who are both inept and delusional advising government.
Just have a brief conversation with the people who claim to know what they are doing, and all your doubts will be cleared. Nigeria remains a strange place, disproportionately filled with strange creatures.
Just like they told you that petrol subsidy must go, because Nigeria cannot afford to pay it. But now they are paying more in subsidy, more than when subsidy was there. So, where is the money still coming from? These are creatures that cannot govern a village, but somewhat think they can run a big country. Everyone’s doubts will get cleared soon, one after the other.