NBA-SPIDEL APPOINTS RIGHTS ACTIVIST UBANI AS MEDIA NETWORK CHAIRMAN

The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) has named former Nigerian Bar Association Second Vice President, Dr. Monday Ubani, SAN, as the Chairman of the newly established Public Interest and Development Law Media Network (NBA-SPIDEL Media Network). The appointment forms part of the constitution of NBA-SPIDEL’s regional representatives, committees, task teams and special mechanisms approved by the Executive Committee of the Section and the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Ubani will lead a committee established to strengthen public awareness of SPIDEL’s activities and promote greater public understanding of issues relating to public interest and development law. He will be supported by Halima Abiola Yusuf as Vice Chair, Lilian Okenwa as Secretary, and Gloria Ireka as Assistant Secretary, while the NBA Publicity Secretary, NBA Assistant Publicity Secretary, and SPIDEL Public Relations Officer will serve as advisers to the committee.

The committee members expressed delight to have been appointed to the new committee and look forward to working with the NBA-SPIDEL Executive Committee to meet the Section’s goals of promoting the role of law in the society.

According to the Terms of Reference approved for the committee, the NBA-SPIDEL Media Network is expected to serve as the communication and public engagement arm of the Section. Its primary responsibility is to improve the visibility of SPIDEL’s programmes and interventions while increasing media coverage of public interest and development law issues across Nigeria.

The committee has been assigned the responsibility of coordinating media engagement and publicity for SPIDEL’s activities. It will also promote the Section’s programmes and advocacy initiatives, develop public education campaigns, and strengthen strategic communication aimed at increasing public awareness of legal issues affecting governance, human rights, access to justice and national development.

In addition, the Media Network will maintain strong working relationships with media organisations across the country, prepare media fact sheets and other public information materials, and ensure timely dissemination of information on SPIDEL’s projects and interventions. The committee is also expected to coordinate the NBA-SPIDEL Media Exhibitions and Media Awards, which are designed to recognise excellence in media reporting on public interest and development law.

Observers within the legal community view Dr. Ubani’s new role as a significant development, considering his years of experience in legal advocacy, public affairs, and engagement with the media. His leadership is expected to enhance SPIDEL’s public communication strategy and strengthen the Section’s efforts to bring important legal and governance issues closer to the Nigerian public.

The appointment comes as NBA-SPIDEL continues to expand its institutional structures to advance its mandate of promoting constitutionalism, the rule of law, human rights, access to justice, accountability and sustainable development. Through the establishment of specialised committees and task teams, the Section aims to deepen its interventions, improve public engagement, and strengthen its impact on legal and policy reforms across the country.