Afam Josiah Osigwe, LL.M (JOS), LL.M (LAZARSKY), FCIARB (UK) gained admission to study law at the University of Nigeria in the 1991/92 academic session. While in the university he was a Student Union activist. He graduated from the University of Nigeria with a Bachelor of Law, LLB (Hons) Degree, in 1997 and he was called to the Nigerian Bar in September 1999.
Afam started his legal practice, during his compulsory National Youth Service with Chike Chigbue & Co. in her Abuja Office in 1999. In 2002, he founded the LAW FORTE (Legal Practitioners, Corporate Consultants and Notary Public) where he currently serves as the Senior Partner. In 2006, Afam became a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Afam obtained a Master of Laws Degree (LL.M) from the University of Jos in 2010. In his quest to obtain further knowledge and better himself, he obtained another Master of Law (LLM) degree in Transnational Commercial Practice from the Centre for International Legal Studies, Austria (in collaboration with the Lazarsky University, Poland).
In his quest to diversify his legal practice as well as deepen his knowledge of alternative dispute resolution, he concluded a face-to-face tutorial at Keble College, Oxford, United Kingdom, and obtained a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration, from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). He became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2011.
At various times Afam has carried out research and litigation in various areas of the law including Corporate and Business Law; Land law, Banking law, Intellectual Property; International Commercial Law, Telecommunications, Energy, Oil and Gas Law; Domestic arbitration, International Commercial Arbitration, etc.
He has a special bias for commercial and financial practice and litigation. He offers a wide range of specialised legal services in banking and commercial transactions, corporate services, commercial and financial practice, cross-border commercial practice, intellectual property practice, money laundering, and financial crimes litigation.
Afam has continued to be associated with some law firms in Nigeria and has at various times liaised with them on international business law and competition law issues as they arose in the course of providing legal services to their clients. Afam has appeared as a counsel in many arbitral proceedings as well as sitting as a sole arbitrator in many commercial disputes.
He had served the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in various capacities. He served as Publicity Secretary (2006-08), at NBA Abuja and as Chairman of the Branch (2010-12). As a member of the NBA Abuja Branch, he had the privilege to serve in the following Committees of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch:
- Law Reporting Committee – 2003-2005
- NBA Abuja Bar Dinner/Awards Committee -2004
- Secretary, Committee on Continuing Legal Education-2004-2006
- Secretary, Committee on Continuing Legal Education-2008-2010
- Alternate Chairman for the Local Organizing Committee of the NEC hosted by NBA Abuja Branch June 2011
- Alternate Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2012 Annual General Conference
- Co-opted member of the TCPC of the 2012 Annual General Conference.
As Chairman of the NBA Abuja Branch, the Branch hosted a NEC Meeting in June 2011, the NBA Delegates Conference in July 2012, and the Annual General Conference in August 2012. He became a member of NEC from 2011 to 2013, although he was an observer for many years before then. He was also the Editor-In-Chief of the Unity Voice (the monthly newsletter of NBA Abuja) from 2011-2013. Under his able leadership the Unity Bar FC (the football club of the NBA Abuja branch), was transformed into a laurel-winning team. The team won the silver medal at the Football Tournaments during the Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt, and the Gold medal during the Annual General Conference held in Abuja, respectively. The successes achieved by the team would rightly be attributed to his unwavering dedication to sports and physical development as well as settling for nothing but the best.
He was the last person to hold office as the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch (Unity Bar) Chairman for the entire Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Subsequently, the Bwari and Gwagwalada Branches were created during his tenure as Chairman of the Unity Bar. By consent of the Chairmen of the Bwari and Gwagwalada Branches of the NBA, he became the first Chairman of Chairmen of NBA Branches in the FCT, in 2012.
Aside from being a member of the Committees of NBA, Abuja, Afam was also appointed a member of the following Committees by the Chief Judge of the FCT. Abuja,
- Committee for the Review of High Court (Civil Procedure Rules) of the FCT- 2011-2014 and 2023.
- Committee on the Review of ADR Laws and Rules-2011-14.
He served as General Secretary of the NBA (2014-2016). He was a member Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (2014-2016), a member, The Council of Legal Education (2015-18), member General Council of the Bar (2015-2022), and a Life Bencher (Life member of the Body of Benchers of Nigeria).
Until he was elected the General Secretary of the NBA, Afam was a prosecutor at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the Body of Benchers from 2012-2014.
He was also the Chairman of the NBA Election Working Group On the 2019 Gubernatorial and Houses of Assembly Elections, Chairman of the NBA Election Working Group On the 2019 Kogi & Bayelsa Gubernatorial, Elections, and Alternate Chairman NBA Constitution Review Committee (2020-22). He was the Chairman of the 2023 Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference Planning Committee. He is currently the Chairman of the NBA National Remuneration Committee.
He believes that we must have a Bar which will always be the strong voice of the Legal profession, cares about the welfare of its members as well as protect them in the various spheres where they practice their profession. The NBA, he insists, must therefore put in place and implement policies to encourage wider involvement and participation of all demographics of its membership/lawyers in its activities. He also believes that the Bar should help create opportunities where every lawyer can realize and maximize their potential- those who dare, win; A Bar in which no lawyer is despised or discriminated against; where the young and the old have a role and a voice in its administration; where those who are dedicated to the actualization of their dreams receive a befitting recompense for their efforts; where every lawyer can use the power which lies within him/her to be men/women of destiny.
Afam is a member of the International Bar Association, Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), and Institute of Chartered Mediators & Conciliators, and he is also an Associate Member of the American Bar Association. He was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in December 2020.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Afam has been providing pro bono consultancy services to Non-Governmental Organizations on the subject of Human Rights in Africa. He has also provided pro bono legal representations to indigent persons undergoing criminal trials. He has also served as Secretary and Deputy Legal Adviser of his Town Union. He is the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association (UNAA).
FAMILY LIFE
Afam is married to Mrs. Ukamaka Osigwe, LLM. (Turin). Their marriage is blessed with children.
Afam is a prolific writer, discussant, and public affairs analyst. He has presented papers at many conferences of the NBA and other Platforms. His hobbies include reading, researching, writing, sightseeing, and photography
