Sights and Sounds of the Lawyers In Business Cocktail and Award Night held in partnership with the NBA Legal Entrepreneurship Committee (NBA-LEC)

A WELCOME ADDRES BY CHIEF. EMEKA SILAS AGBARA ESQ, DELIVERED AT THE 2025 CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL AND AWARD NIGHT OF THE Lawyers In Business Institute (LIBI) in Partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association Legal Entrepreneurship Committee, IN HONOUR OF SIR. BABATUNDE OGALA SAN, OFR, at the NBA HOUSE ABUJA, 16TH DECEMBER, 2025.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe SAN (The Ifechukwukwulu of Nnewi Kingdom); The Honoree of this event, Sir. Babatunde Ogala SAN, OFR; the Keynote Speaker [my Boss-brother] High Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, PhD [ably represented by our leading light, Mr. Yakubu Philemon SAN]; the Guest of Honour, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh SAN (Hon. Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology); Chairman of the NBA Legal Entrepreneurship Committee, Hon. Mohammed Kudu Ndayako SAN; the Alternate-Chairman, my dear Brother, Otunba Olumide Olaiya Esq; Learned Senior Advocates here present or represented, Benchers, Distinguished Judges, Magistrates and Dignitaries, members of the Legal Profession, members of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is with a great sense of Honour and gratitude, that I welcome you to this year’s Christmas Cocktail and Award Night.

The Lawyers In Business Institute strive to encourage, teach, advocate and create platforms that enable multiple streams of income for mostly members of the Legal Profession, and other Professionals; so we can practice with greater integrity.

In pursuit of these lofty visions, and Since 2019, we have developed/implemented several schemes, including I.T Trainings for Remote Jobs, ARMED ESCORT SCHEME, Micro-financing and Thrift [Asusu], Car Swap & Flip Scheme [ in Partnership with Cars45 e.t.c], Agro-Biz & Food-Bank Scheme, Health Insurance under the NHIS, then our Mass-Housing & Land-Banking Scheme.

These schemes point to areas where members of the Profession are to look, for opportunities of more income streams. It is our most humble view and we hold it strongly, that Lawyers are “Business Men” and are indeed in Business; thus the name “Lawyers in Business”.

This is a fact that most “Conservative” Seniors, who are themselves directors of multiple companies, either deny or cover and most juniors are either too uncertain to accept it or totally ignorant of it.

Events like the type we are having this evening are meant to throw more lights on both the fact and and the systematic approach to it, that will maintain the Prestige of our Noble Profession, while expanding our streams of income.

Our Theme for last year’s Cocktail and Award Night was: A Lawyer in Business and the R.P.C: A Protective, Not Restrictive Approach to Interpretation. Prof. Ernest Ojukwu SAN, who proudly takes ownership of the Draftsmanship of the R.P. C, was our Keynote Speaker and he did absolute Justice to the topic.
His Paper will be shared subsequently.

This year, our Theme is: A Lawyer with Multiple Income streams and the Remuneration Order: A Case for Diversification and Innovation, in the Legal Profession. The Chairman of the NBA Remuneration Committee, Chief. Emeka Obegolu SAN, Ph.D, is the Keynote Speaker and it promises to be another enlightening moment.

We are determined and resolute to the course of encouraging and guiding each Member of the Legal Profession to have at least one more income streams, outside core Law Practice.

The way to go is the way of Entrepreneurship!
The way of owning businesses with Registered LTD companies, which have separate Legal personalities, distinct from our names on the revered Roll of Legal Practitioners.[See: Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd [1896] UKHL 1, [1897] AC 22].

The Nigerian Bar Association, under the Proactive leadership of Mazi Afam Josiah Osigwe SAN, has also set up the NBA Legal Entreprenuership Committee, with Hon. Mohamed Ndayako SAN as Chairman, our own Otunba Olumide Olaiya Esq as the Alternate Chairman and myself as the Secretary.

The Mandate of this Committee, in simple terms, is to mainstream Entrepreneurship, in the Legal Profession.
This event is in Partnership with that Committee of the NBA and we are proudly associated!

Our Awards are intended to celebrate Lawyers who are practicing and/or encouraging our Golden Gospel of Diversification, while also excelling as Legal Practitioners.
A flip through their Profiles on the Brochure, gives an idea about their persons and leaves one or two inspirations.

I, therefore, humbly urge us to seat, enjoy and learn more!

Chief Emeka Silas Agbara Esq
[Administrator, Lawyers In Business Institute/ Secretary, NBA Legal Entrepreneurship Committee.]
08060266163

Join Our Group to enjoy 5% Christmas Discount on our Lawyers Mass-Housing & Land-Banking Scheme and other Schemes.
https://chat.whatsapp.com/JMhDajGlOw5F75g79ljpEy?mode=hqrt1

For more speeches, videos and photos, click bellow: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DMdsFaLnK/
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