The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has officially announced the commencement of the application process for the 2026 conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
But what would have been a routine announcement has triggered widespread disquiet among lawyers, following the Committee’s decision to raise the non-refundable processing fee from ₦1 million to ₦5 million for private practitioners, a 400 per cent increase.
In a public notice signed by Kabir Eniola Akanbi, Esq., Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the Committee, the LPPC stated that the call for applications is made pursuant to Section 5(2) of the Legal Practitioners Act, Cap L11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and Paragraph 10(1)–(4) of the 2022 Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
All applications are to be made online only via www.lppconline.com, with the portal opening at 12:00 a.m. on November 1, 2025.
The deadline for submission of applications and supporting documents is 12:00 noon on January 31, 2026, while physical submission of the required flash drives must reach the LPPC Secretariat before 4:00 p.m. on February 2, 2026.
Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable processing fee as follows:
- ₦5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) for legal practitioners in private practice;
- ₦2,500,000 (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) for legal practitioners in government service.
Payments are to be made in favour of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (SAN) into the following accounts:
- Zenith Bank PLC – Account Number: 1014103141
- GTBank PLC – Account Number: 0213662834
After payment, applicants must upload evidence of payment on the application portal. Upon confirmation, they will receive an acknowledgement email from the LPPC Secretariat before proceeding with the rest of the online process.
The LPPC emphasized that all applicants — whether advocates or academics — must upload clear and legible copies of all mandatory and supporting documents as specified in the 2022 Guidelines.
For academic applicants, in addition to online submissions, they must submit seven photocopies each of their Curriculum Vitae and Impact Statement, along with five flash drives containing copies of all uploaded materials.
The Committee cautioned that any document submitted contrary to its directives would be rejected, and that late submissions would be treated as non-submissions.
While the LPPC announcement followed the usual format, the steep increase in the application fee has stirred intense debate within the legal community.
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, led the chorus of disapproval in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, questioning how such a fee aligns with integrity and merit-based advancement in the public sector.
“Ok, so the next round of applications to become #SAN in #Nigeria will cost practitioners ₦5m non-refundable. Public servants interested will cough up ₦2.5m.
Please, how do they expect an honest #PublicServant to find this? Very soon they will price SAN into extinction,”
— Prof. Chidi Odinkalu
His post ignited a flurry of reactions from lawyers and commentators, many of whom condemned the move as elitist and exclusionary.
Olúfúnké Baruwa (@FunkeBaruwa) lamented:
“Sad and heartbreaking to see institutions and professions meant to promote transparency, accountability, fairness and justice become the very ones opposing it. The average, honest public servant even at directorate level earns less than ₦500k monthly.”
Bashir Aondohemba (@shirAondohem9) wrote:
“To become SAN is no longer for people of honesty. Find money by all means to pay and become one.”
Another user, Nzemeka (@Nzemeka4), added pointedly:
“That’s why they have SANs that can’t interpret a common law — because they aren’t worth it.”
EBINUM Dickson Joseph (@ebinumdickson) argued that the fee hike was a revenue drive:
“SAN will not be priced into extinction. Just that SAN would become exclusive to moneybags. IGR is the main focus here.”
Dike eji aga mba Imenyi (@nelsonchudi) also took issue with the process timing, observing:
“The notice is dated 3rd Nov 2025, the portal opens 1st November 2025 and was published 27th October. This tardiness demonstrates the road the process is traveling. In addition, only one academic whose salary is ₦400k and they are to pay ₦5m will be selected.”
Despite the uproar, a few commentators supported the increase, arguing that the new rate reflects the prestige of the SAN rank.
@pheropizzle wrote:
“It is not a lot of money. It is necessary to show financial good standing. How are we sure you will pay juniors well and charge commensurate professional fees if you cannot afford ₦5m despite 10 years PQE and handling cases from the High Court to the Supreme Court?”
Although the LPPC has yet to publicly explain the rationale behind the steep increase, the Committee’s notice reaffirmed its commitment to “maintaining the integrity and transparency of the process leading to the conferment of the SAN rank.”
The conferment, the notice emphasized, remains “the highest recognition of excellence in the Nigerian legal profession.”
For further enquiries, applicants are advised to contact the LPPC Secretariat via email at lppcsecretariat@courts.gov.ng or visit the official website www.lppc.gov.ng.
While the LPPC’s digital transition in the SAN application process continues to modernize the system, the new ₦5 million non-refundable fee raises broader questions about access, equity, and the socioeconomic diversity of the Nigerian Bar.
For many, the conversation now shifts from who qualifies to who can afford to qualify.
