The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya SAN is set to lead other jurists and key public interest stakeholders to Umuahia, Abia State, for the eagerly awaited NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) Annual Conference.

Former Vice President, prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN is the Keynote Speaker for the highly anticipated Opening Ceremony & Keynote Session billed to hold on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Sir Ejike Ezenwa SAN has unveiled details of technical sessions for 2026 Annual Conference. The conference will hold from 9th to 13th November, 2026 at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Umuahia, Abia State, with the Abia State Government as the headline sponsor. The conference theme is “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy & Development.”

Coming on the heels of the Opening Ceremony & Keynote Session, Session 2 of the conference will focus on “Advancing Democracy through Rule of Law, Institutional Independence and Public Accountability.” The session chair is retired Justice Obisike Oji. Under his leadership, an elite panel of experts will provide multi-dimensional perspectives on pressing governance issues.

The panelists include leading human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana SAN; Hon. Bamidele Salam, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts; Prof. Joy Ezeilo SAN, Executive Director of the Women Aid Collective; Mr. Jonathan Gunu Taidi SAN, former NBA General Secretary, and Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran, former Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Regional Coordinator for the African Alliance for People-Centred Justice.

Session 3 is titled “Law, Governance, and Development: Promoting public interest and sustainable development in the delivery of services.” The session will be steered by respected senior lawyer, Mr. Kenneth Chukwuemeka Ahia SAN, who will bring deep regulatory and statutory experience to the role as an Assessor for the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria and former Commissioner of Abia State Law Review and Reform Commission.

The panel comprises Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS; Mr. Chris Okeke, Head of Governance at the British High Commission and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; Prof. Foluke Dada-Lawanson (Caleb University), former NBA Second Vice President; Dr. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye, Founder, Sub Saharan Social Development Organization and Regional Director for Ford Foundation West Africa, and Mr. Ikhide Ehigheua SAN, former NBA-SPIDEL Vice Chairman.

In all, the conference promises to be an intellectual feast, having been packed with unprecedented 17 technical sessions spanning sub-themes in public interest and development law.

Some of the other topics include “Strengthening the Legal Aid Architecture for Public Interest,” with former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi SAN as chairman; The Media and Public Interest: Protecting Civic Space and Promoting Public Interest Journalism; Innovative Justice – Reimagining Justice Delivery through Technology, Justice Innovation and People-Centered Justice, and Session 6 which will x-ray the topic, “Rule of Law, Accountability, Anti-Corruption, National Security and Human Rights: Issues, Nexus, and Strategies for Advancing Public Interest.” The Session Chair is Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN.

Aside from a Public Interest Litigation Clinic/Practical Training Session, Session 8 will interrogate the topic, “In Public Interest: Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities and Vulnerable Groups.” While Session 9 will discuss “Public Interest Litigation and related issues of expanding access to justice,” Session 10 will focus on “Strategic Litigation and Public Interest Advocacy.” Session 11 will dwell on “Law, Climate Justice and Sustainable Development” while Session 12 will dissect the burning issue of “Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Practice.”

Day 4 activities kick off on Thursday, 12th November, 2026, with a discourse on “Public Interest Litigation Introductory Training Session” which is aimed at building a network of lawyers equipped to challenge unlawful exercise of public power and drive systemic reform through strategic litigation. Chaired by Ntufam Mba Ukweni, SAN, the Lead Trainer is former NBA-SPIDEL Chairman, Dr. Monday Ubani, SAN. Other trainers include Mr. Ikeazor Akaraiwe, SAN, former Chairman of NBA Human Rights Institute, and Mr. Bulus Atsen, fsi, Vice Chairman, NBA-SPIDEL Litigation Committee.

Session 14 will dwell on the topic, “In Public Interest: Advancing Non-Custodial Sanctions, Oversight of Places of Detention, and Preventing Deaths in Custody.” On the other hand, Session 15 will discuss the topic, “Tackling Corruption, Terrorists Financing, Targeted Financial Sanctions and the Lawyer: Professional Duty, National Security and Human Rights.”

While Session 16 will x-ray the topic, “NBA-SPIDEL Civil Society Forum: Sustainability and Strengthening of Civil Society Organizations and the Promotion of Public Interest,” curtains will be drawn on the sessions following a discussion of the topic, “Walking the Talk: Promoting Public Interest Through the NBA-SPIDEL.” A Press Conference will be held immediately afterwards to unveil the Conference General Report/Communique.

Delegates will be hosted to an exquisite Dinner/Awards Night which is a specially curated event designed to include a red carpet reception, dinner, cultural entertainment, and recognition/awards. Day 5 activities will focus on visit to tourist sites.

To register for the conference, click here https://app.nbaspidel.ng/en/public/events/nba-spidel-2026-annual-conference

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