In a landmark initiative aimed at reshaping access to legal research for young practitioners across Nigeria, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch, Yemi Akangbe, SAN, has procured complimentary access to the NWLR online platform for 25,000 young lawyers through a partnership with Nigerian Law Publications Ltd, publishers of the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports (NWLR).
The programme, which targets lawyers between 0–7 years at the Bar, will see Akangbe personally bearing the full cost of the subscriptions, a significant investment given that individual subscription to the platform ordinarily costs N50,000 per user annually. This ensures that financial constraints do not prevent young practitioners from accessing essential legal research tools.
The initiative comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s legal profession. With thousands of new lawyers called to the Bar annually, many are unable to afford subscriptions to comprehensive legal databases, despite the centrality of such resources to effective legal practice. The NWLR platform, widely recognised as Nigeria’s foremost law reporting service, houses decades of authoritative case law and judicial precedents that form the backbone of legal research in Nigeria.
The initiative consciously reflects the philosophy of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, whose contributions to Nigerian law extended far beyond his celebrated human rights advocacy. Beyond his fearless defence of the oppressed, Fawehinmi was deeply committed to democratising access to legal knowledge and precedents, believing that excellence in legal practice could not flourish where access to knowledge was restricted by economic barriers.
Akangbe’s initiative carries this philosophy into the digital age, recognising that the democratisation of legal knowledge remains as critical today as it was during Fawehinmi’s era. By personally funding this intervention, he has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the professional development of young lawyers and the future of Nigeria’s legal system.
By removing the financial barrier to accessing the NWLR online platform, the initiative enables young lawyers to engage in rigorous legal research from the outset of their careers. The platform provides access to reported judgments of Nigeria’s superior courts, allowing practitioners to study judicial reasoning, track the evolution of legal principles, and deliver well-researched advice and advocacy for their clients.
Details on registration and access will be communicated shortly through official channels. The process has been designed to be straightforward and inclusive, ensuring that all eligible practitioners within the 0–7 year post-call bracket can benefit from this unprecedented opportunity.
The initiative represents a strategic investment in building a knowledgeable and well-equipped generation of legal practitioners. As the profession continues to expand, initiatives of this nature will be critical in ensuring that growth translates into improved quality, competence, and professional standards across the Bar.
Akangbe’s substantial personal investment in this cause sets a new benchmark for leadership within the Nigerian legal profession, demonstrating what is possible when senior practitioners translate their concern for the future of the Bar into concrete, transformative action.
