Umuahia, the Abia State capital, is set to host prominent personalities in Nigeria’s legal profession, including former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL).
Over 2,000 participants, comprising judges, lawyers, policymakers, academics, civil society organizations, development partners and other stakeholders in the justice sector, are expected to attend the conference scheduled to hold at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, from November 9 to 13, 2026, with pre-conference activities commencing on November 9.
The conference, which has the Abia State Government as co-host, is themed: “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development.”
Speaking during a press conference at the Ministry of Justice, Umuahia, Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee and Abia State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Sir Paul Ogubunka, said the state was fully prepared to host the gathering.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice and Local Organizing Committee chairman, Sir Paul Ogubunka,
Ogubunka described the conference as an opportunity to move beyond routine legal discussions to practical conversations capable of improving the justice system and the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
He said the conference would reinforce the understanding that the law was not exclusively for legal practitioners but also served the interests of ordinary citizens, particularly those seeking justice, people in detention, women denied justice and children in conflict with the law.
According to him, Governor Alex Otti will formally declare the conference open, while Prof Osinbajo would deliver the keynote address. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kekere-Ekun, is expected to deliver a special address.
Other prominent personalities expected include the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and NBA President, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, alongside several Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other leading voices in justice and development.
The LOC chairman said the choice of Abia as host was deliberate, noting that the state’s ongoing development efforts and reforms under the Otti administration provided an opportunity to examine the relationship between public policy, justice and development.
He assured participants of adequate security, accommodation, transportation and medical support, adding that the organizing committee was working to ensure a peaceful and hospitable environment for delegates.
Ogubunka also urged journalists to look beyond the opening ceremony and report the substantive discussions, particularly sessions on policing, legal aid and access to justice, noting that the media had an important responsibility to communicate the conference’s resolutions to the public.
In her address, Chairperson of NBA-SPIDEL, Associate Professor Uju Agomoh, said the conference was designed to strengthen the relationship between law, public policy, democratic governance and national development.
Agomoh explained that the theme reflected the need for the legal profession to extend its responsibilities beyond interpreting and applying the law to actively promoting accountability, protecting fundamental rights and ensuring that justice was accessible to all.
She said discussions would focus on strengthening democratic institutions, improving access to justice for vulnerable populations, reforming justice institutions, promoting economic development and addressing emerging challenges in technology, environmental sustainability and human rights.
The NBA-SPIDEL chairperson emphasized that the conference would prioritize practical recommendations, partnerships and actions capable of influencing policy and institutional reforms.
She called on the media to partner with the association in amplifying discussions on justice and development and ensuring that recommendations from the conference reached relevant institutions and decision-makers.
Earlier, the Abia state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Sir Ikechukwu Uwanna, assured the NBA-SPIDEL leadership and other delegates of the state government’s commitment to a successful conference.
Uwanna said the gathering would also provide participants with an opportunity to obtain first-hand information about the transformation taking place in Abia’s justice and correctional sectors, while experiencing the hospitality of the state.
Sir Ikechukwu Uwanna
He noted that Nigerians expected a conference that would go beyond discussions to produce practical recommendations capable of strengthening the justice system and improving citizens’ lives.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Matters, Mrs Nkolika Ubani, Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Sir Ejike Ezenwa, SAN and Chairman of the Media and Publicity Subcommittee, Mr Obiefule Chikezie, highlighted preparations for the event.
They disclosed that activities would include pre-conference engagements, professional development sessions, plenary discussions and technical sessions.
They also appreciated Governor Otti for supporting the conference and acknowledged his administration’s infrastructural interventions in the state’s justice sector.
The organizers expressed optimism that the 2026 NBA-SPIDEL Conference would provide an important platform for addressing challenges confronting Nigeria’s justice system and strengthening the role of law in promoting democracy, accountability and sustainable development.
