2024 AGC Bags: “I Am Sorry, I Worked on Instructions, I have learned my lessons ” — Badejo-Okusanya SAN Apologizes to Lawyers Over 2024 NBA AGC Controversies
One of the aspirants for the office of President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkasola Badejo-Okusanya SAN, has publicly apologized to lawyers over the widely criticized handling of the 2024 Annual General Conference (AGC), particularly the failure of the conference planning committee to provide the traditional conference bags for participants.
Badejo-Okusanya, who served as Chairman of the NBA 2024 AGC Planning Committee, tendered the apology while speaking at the general meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association Abuja Branch held on Friday, March 6, 2026, at the NBA House Auditorium in the Central Business District of Abuja.
Addressing members of the branch, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria explained that the controversial decision not to provide conference bags to participants was taken based on instructions from the then NBA President, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau SAN.
According to her, the planning committee merely implemented directives issued by the leadership of the association at the time.
The 2024 NBA Annual General Conference, which was held in Lagos, generated significant controversy within the legal community, with many lawyers describing the event as poorly organized despite the unprecedented increase in conference fees.
The conference witnessed a sharp hike in registration fees, which some lawyers estimated to be more than 200 percent higher than previous conferences. The increase sparked protests across several NBA branches.
Branches including the Nigerian Bar Association Ikeja Branch, Nigerian Bar Association Warri Branch, Nigerian Bar Association Bwari Branch, Nigerian Bar Association Ohaofia Branch, and Nigerian Bar Association Ahoada Branch either openly boycotted the conference or protested the steep increase in registration fees.
Despite the backlash from several branches, critics argued that the conference planning committee, led by Badejo-Okusanya, refused to address the concerns raised by members of the Bar.
Lawyers were further surprised when, despite the substantial fees paid for the conference, participants received only a jotter and a pen as conference materials, rather than the traditional conference bags and additional items that have historically been provided to attendees of NBA conferences.
The development became one of the most discussed issues among members of the legal profession following the conference, with many young lawyers expressing dissatisfaction with the perceived decline in conference value relative to the cost of participation.
Speaking at the Abuja branch meeting, Badejo-Okusanya acknowledged that the events surrounding the 2024 conference have continued to feature prominently in her discussions with lawyers during her consultations ahead of the 2026 NBA presidential election.
The senior lawyer therefore used the opportunity to express regret over the situation and appealed for understanding from members of the Bar.
She also assured lawyers that lessons had been learned from the experience, promising that she would do better if given the opportunity to lead the association.
Badejo-Okusanya is among three senior lawyers currently consulting members of the NBA ahead of the association’s national elections scheduled for July 2026, where a new leadership will emerge to steer the affairs of what is widely regarded as the largest body of lawyers in Africa.
