Victory for Lawyers: NBA Softens CPD Policy After ABLIF Protest Threats
The Advocacy for Bar Licence Freedom (ABLIF) has announced the temporary suspension of its planned protests against the Nigerian Bar Association Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBA-ICLE), following a significant policy shift by the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
The development marks a major breakthrough in ABLIF’s fierce opposition to the controversial Continuing Professional Development (CPD) policy, which had threatened to revoke the practicing licences of lawyers who failed to accumulate enough CPD points annually.
In a statement signed by ABLIF’s Convener, Amb. Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, Esq., the group hailed the collective effort of lawyers nationwide, crediting their unity and resilience for forcing a policy review.
“Within just 24 hours of launching our online petition titled Prevent NBA’s CPD Policy from Revoking Lawyers’ Licences, we saw over 373 signatures, 377 shares, and more than 1,100 views,” Jimoh revealed, describing the overwhelming response as proof of widespread discontent within the legal community.
Following this, President Osigwe issued a directive on June 24, 2025, introducing critical reforms to the CPD policy. ABLIF highlighted the key changes as follows:
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Lawyers will no longer be compelled to attend specific CPD trainings — they now have the freedom to choose programs that suit them.
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Free seminars and training sessions organized at the branch level will count towards CPD points.
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The NBA-ICLE will review CPD course pricing to guarantee affordability.
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Courses offered by accredited institutes and university law faculties may now contribute to CPD credit accumulation.
While celebrating these victories, ABLIF cautioned that uncertainties remain — particularly regarding whether non-compliance with CPD requirements could still lead to licence revocation.
“We have suspended our actions on the CPD policy, including the online petition, but we remain vigilant,” the group stated, vowing to continue engaging with relevant authorities to ensure NBA policies empower rather than oppress legal practitioners.
In a final rallying cry, the group quoted Mahatma Gandhi and Elie Wiesel, reaffirming its resolve: “It is not over until it is over. A luta continua, vitória é certa” — the struggle continues, victory is certain.
