The promotion of the rule of law is the guiding principle of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). However, pervasive corruption infringes on the rule of law. Detailed analysis shows “an inverse relationship between corruption and the realisation of the rule of law”. The more corruption in a society, the less the operation of the rule of law in such a society, and vice versa.
The fact and the perception of corruption undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s justice system and the nation’s democratic aspirations. In February 2025, the NBA, under the leadership of Mazi Afam Osigwe SAN, put in place the NBA National Anti-Corruption Committee. He requested the Committee to undertake “a pivotal role in advocating for ethical legal practice and fighting corruption in all its forms.”
The NBA Anti-Corruption Committee recommended that all 130 active branches in Nigeria be mandated to establish branch-level anti-corruption committees. The NBA National Executive Committee (NEC), at its meeting at Ilorin on May 15, 2025, passed the motion for all NBA branches to mandatorily set up anti-corruption committees at each branch level.
Branch Anti-Corruption Committees:
• Shall be established in all NBA branches to address corruption-related issues within their jurisdictions.
• Shall work closely with local stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and community organisations to reduce corruption at their respective levels.
• Shall collaborate with the NBA National Anti-Corruption Committee towards a robust NBA coordinated abhorrence of corruption.
The national-level body shall coordinate anti-corruption efforts across all branches. Branch-level committees shall design their respective activities to boost anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria.
With the freedom of each branch and national coordination mechanism in articulating what can be done to curb corruption, the NBA would be delivering a clear message that corruption is not a normal way of life.
The NBA is boldly engaging in its expected role as the bastion of accountability and the rule of law. A proactive NBA on anti-corruption is not just a professional necessity but a national imperative.
Prof. Babafemi A. Badejo,
Chairman, NBA Anti-Corruption Committee
