NBA President pledges support for SPIDEL 2026 conference

..calls for reforms in detention facilities

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has pledged her support for the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) 2026 Conference scheduled to hold in Umuahia, Abia State.

The NBA President made the commitment when the Chair of NBA-SPIDEL, Ass. Prof. Uju Agomoh, led a delegation of the Section on a courtesy visit to her at the NBA House, Central Business District, Abuja, on September 22, 2026.

Prof. Agomoh congratulated Badejo-Okusanya on her emergence as the first elected female President of the NBA and commended the programmes and initiatives she has lined up for the Association.

She said SPIDEL viewed the NBA as one team and was committed to promoting synergy and effective coordination among the various organs and sections of the Association in delivering on the NBA's objectives.

According to her, SPIDEL was prepared to work with the NBA leadership and sought the President's guidance and direction in leveraging the expertise available within the Section.

The SPIDEL Chair, who was accompanied by members of the Section's executive and Conference Planning Committee, including Paul Daudu, SAN, Andrew O. Odum, SAN, Papa Dorn Cklaims Enameh, Bulus Atsen Fsi, Folannoh Aluko, Emmanuel Tayo Ogunjide, Dr. Lilian Ojimma, Vincent Adodo and Monday Adjeh, said the principal purpose of the visit was to formally notify the NBA President of the Section's 2026 Conference.

The conference is scheduled for November 9 to 13, 2026, in Umuahia, Abia State, with the theme, “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy and Development.”
Prof. Agomoh appealed to the NBA President to lead the conference with her presence and that of members of the National Executive Committee, while also inviting key personalities whose participation, she said, could be secured through the President's invitation.

She described the conference as an opportunity for SPIDEL to make concrete contributions to issues of public importance.
Responding, Badejo-Okusanya congratulated Prof. Agomoh on her leadership of SPIDEL, particularly her ability to work with the large number of Senior Advocates of Nigeria within the Section, describing it as evidence of her hard work and acceptance by members.

The NBA President assured the delegation that it would be her honour to attend the conference with as many members of her executive as possible.
She also pledged to invite key individuals to the conference.

Speaking on the conference theme and the broader question of public interest, Badejo-Okusanya highlighted the need for stronger advocacy and policy action on the rights of persons with disabilities.

She recalled an event she attended where concerns were raised over alleged discrimination against persons with disabilities by banks, noting that the NBA already has a Disability Policy approved by the National Executive Committee.

The President 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.

Badejo-Okusanya also drew the attention of the SPIDEL delegation to the recent deaths of 37 persons, including minors, reportedly in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State in connection with alleged illegal mining activities.

She urged NBA and particularly SPIDEL to move beyond expressions of outrage over the incident and examine the public-interest reforms that could emerge from it.

The NBA President condemned the activities of illegal miners and raised concerns about the treatment of displaced and vulnerable members of society.

Describing SPIDEL as a bold and fearless section of the NBA, she said it was
strategically positioned to address issues of this nature and urged the Section to help the Association harness public concern over the incident towards achieving necessary changes in policies and practices.

She also expressed concern over the treatment of suspects in detention facilities, particularly vulnerable persons who lack access to influential individuals who can advocate for them.

“Rather than cosmetics talks, the rights of children in conflict with the law must also be protected,” she said.

The NBA President further informed the delegation about an initiative involving the Police aimed at addressing challenges faced by lawyers in the course of discharging their professional duties.

She said SPIDEL's intervention in such public-interest issues could translate into institutional gains for the NBA, stressing that the success of the Section would ultimately be a success for the entire Association.

The strengthening of oversight mechanisms for detention facilities across the country was also identified as an area requiring greater attention.

At the conclusion of the courtesy visit, the NBA President invited the SPIDEL Chair and other members of the delegation to participate in a meeting with UNICEF, which took place immediately afterwards.