The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has assured the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) of her support for its 2026 Annual Conference scheduled to hold in Umuahia, Abia State, from November 9 to 13, 2026.
The NBA President gave the assurance on September 22, 2026, when she received a delegation of SPIDEL executives and Conference Planning Committee members at the NBA House, Central Business District, Abuja.
The SPIDEL delegation was led by its Chair, Associate Professor Uju Agomoh, who congratulated Badejo-Okusanya on her emergence as the first elected female President of the Nigerian Bar Association, as well as on the programmes and initiatives she has outlined for the Association.
Agomoh said SPIDEL viewed the NBA as one team and emphasised the need for all organs of the Association to work together through greater synergy and effective coordination.
According to her, SPIDEL was prepared to work with the national leadership of the NBA to deliver on the Association’s objectives as “One NBA.”
She also sought the guidance and direction of the NBA President and expressed the Section’s willingness to leverage the expertise available within SPIDEL in advancing the Association’s objectives.
The SPIDEL Chair was accompanied by members of the Section’s executive and Conference Planning Committee, including Paul Daudu, SAN; Andrew O. Odum, SAN; Papa Dorn Claims Enameh; Bulus Atsen, FSI; Folannoh Aluko; Emmanuel Tayo Ogunjide; Dr. Lilian Ojimma; Vincent Adodo; and Monday Adjeh.
She requested Badejo-Okusanya’s support through her presence at the conference, alongside members of the NBA National Executive Committee, and also appealed to her to invite key personalities whose attendance could add value to the event.
The conference is themed “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development.”
According to Agomoh, the conference would provide an opportunity for SPIDEL to make a concrete statement on issues affecting the public interest and to examine the role of lawyers in advancing justice, democracy and development.
Responding, the President congratulated Agomoh on her leadership of SPIDEL and commended her ability to work effectively with the large number of Senior Advocates of Nigeria within the Section.
Badejo-Okusanya described this as an indication of Agomoh’s hard work and acceptance among members of SPIDEL.
She assured the delegation that it would be her honour to attend the conference with as many members of the National Executive Committee as possible.
She also pledged her willingness to invite key individuals to the conference.
Speaking on the conference theme and its focus on public interest, Badejo-Okusanya highlighted a number of issues she said required greater attention from the NBA.
She recalled an event she attended where concerns were raised about discrimination against persons with disabilities by banks.
The NBA President disclosed that the Association already has a Disability Policy approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and said the NBA would support national conversations around a disability charter aimed at encouraging the implementation of initiatives addressing the needs of persons with disabilities.
She also referred to the recent reported deaths of 37 people in Niger State, including some minors, while in custody over alleged illegal mining, and challenged NBA, particularly SPIDEL, to move beyond public outrage and examine what could be achieved in the public interest following the incident.
Badejo-Okusanya expressed concern over illegal mining activities and the treatment of displaced members of society, describing SPIDEL as the section of the NBA that is “bold and fearless” and appropriately positioned to address such issues.
She urged SPIDEL to help position the NBA to harness the public attention generated by such incidents and push for necessary changes in policies and practices.
The President also raised concerns about the treatment of suspects in detention facilities, particularly those without influential persons to advocate on their behalf.
She stressed the need for the rights of children in conflict with the law to be protected, stating that the issue required more than what she described as “cosmetic talks.”
She further informed the SPIDEL delegation of an NBA initiative with the Police aimed at addressing the treatment of lawyers by police officers in the course of carrying out their professional duties.
According to her, “if SPIDEL takes up these issues and succeeds, then NBA succeeds.”
She also identified the strengthening of oversight of detention facilities across the country as another area requiring attention.
Immediately after the courtesy visit, the NBA President invited the SPIDEL Chair and other members of the delegation to attend a meeting with UNICEF, which took place immediately after the meeting.
The engagement underscored the NBA leadership’s emphasis on collaboration among the Association’s various organs in addressing issues of public interest, justice and the protection of vulnerable members of society.