Afam Osigwe, an intensive bar man set to develop into NBA’s thirty second president

The Nigerian Bar Affiliation (NBA) elected Afam Osigwe, 51, as its subsequent president on Saturday.

Mr Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), gained the election decisively, securing over half of the votes solid, after operating a reform-focused marketing campaign to deal with troubling tendencies within the authorized career, together with the judiciary.

He polled 20,435 out of the 40,451 votes tallied for the workplace of the NBA president, with 205 abstentions, in response to the outcomes portal maintained by the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA).

His closest rival, Tobenna Erojikwe, the NBA Institute of Persevering with Authorized Training Governing Council chairperson, polled 10,998 votes. A former chairperson of the NBA, Lagos department, Chukwuka Ikwuazom, additionally a SAN, who introduced withdrawing in the midst of the election on Saturday, got here third with 9,018 votes.

The consequence units the stage for Mr Osigwe’s inauguration because the thirty second NBA President in August.

The upcoming occasion will crown Mr Osigwe’s long-standing dedication to NBA politics and his strong authorized observe since his early days on the Bar, bringing him into the limelight and facilitating his ascent to the top of Nigerian Bar management.

He has held key elected, advert hoc and appointive positions on the department and nationwide ranges of the NBA since he was known as to the Bar in 1999, 25 years in the past. Since he was elected the Basic Secretary in 2014, Mr Osigwe has been a relentless characteristic of the NBA on the nationwide degree, taking on totally different roles, together with main the affiliation’s observers committee for the 2019 normal elections.

His elevation to Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank in 2020 is a tribute to his skilled excellence within the courtroom, permitting him to garner admiration past his in depth bar actions.

Background

Mr Osigwe was born on 25 October 1972.

He graduated from the College of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, in 1997 and was known as to the Bar in 1999.

He started his authorized profession at Chike Chigbue and Co. in Abuja earlier than founding his agency, LAW FORTE, in 2002.

In 2006, he turned a Notary Public of the Supreme Courtroom of Nigeria.

His publicly out there bio signifies that he earned a Diploma in Worldwide Industrial Arbitration from Keble School, Oxford, in 2010 and have become a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2011.

He additionally holds a grasp’s diploma in legislation (LL.M) from the College of Jos and one other LL.M in Transnational Industrial Apply from the Centre for Worldwide Authorized Research, Austria, in collaboration with Lazarsky College, Poland. He’s presently pursuing a doctorate.

His analysis and litigation works span company and enterprise legislation, land legislation, banking legislation, mental property, worldwide industrial legislation, telecommunications, vitality, oil and gasoline legislation, and home and worldwide industrial arbitration.

As a member of the NBA Abuja Department, he served on quite a few committees, together with the NBA Abuja Legislation Reporting Committee (2003-2005) and the Committee on Persevering with Authorized Training (2004-2006, 2008-2010).

He additionally served as alternate chairman for the Native Organising Committee (LOC) of the NBA Annual Basic Convention 2012 and held different notable positions.

He has additionally been the publicity secretary of NBA Abuja (2006-2008) and chairman of the department (2010-2012).

He turned the primary chairperson of chairpersons of NBA branches within the FCT in 2012. As the overall secretary of the NBA (2014-2016), he contributed to important initiatives, together with introducing personalised NBA adhesive stamps, e-voting, common suffrage, and uniform bye-laws.

He’s dedicated to professional bono authorized illustration for indigent individuals and has served on a number of committees appointed by the Chief Choose of the FCT, Abuja.

He belongs to key establishments within the authorized career, together with the Physique of Benchers, the Council of Authorized Training, the Authorized Help Council of Nigeria, the NBA Nationwide Govt Committee, and the Basic Council of the Bar.

He’s additionally a part of numerous skilled our bodies, such because the Worldwide Bar Affiliation, the Nigerian Institute of Administration, and the Institute of Chartered Mediators & Conciliators. He’s additionally a Knight of Saint Christopher.

Focus

Throughout his marketing campaign, Mr Osigwe promised reforms, together with tackling corruption within the authorized career.

“As NBA president, I need to search for reforms. I need to ensure that we observe up on circumstances the place judges have been discovered to be corrupt, the place judgements given by a choose point out both that the choose is corrupt or being induced, or that the choose is incompetent,” he stated in the course of the debate with different presidential candidates within the lead-up to Saturday’s election.

He emphasised the necessity for a proactive NBA to deal with the authorized career and judiciary’s evolving challenges.

In his acceptance remarks posted on social media platforms on Sunday, he restated his dedication to “advancing the reason for justice, upholding the rule of legislation, and fostering a vibrant and inclusive authorized neighborhood”.

Mr Osigwe, who prolonged a hand of fellowship to his rivals within the contest, pledged to serve with integrity, transparency, and unwavering dedication.

His marketing campaign additionally targeted on securing partnerships with donors to create an endowment fund for authorized schooling, sponsor coaching and conferences, and supply assets for authorized professionals.

He additionally deliberate to boost advantages for attorneys, advocate for honest compensation, and suggest constitutional amendments to assist department welfare funds and attorneys with disabilities and senior residents.

He additionally promised to concentrate on human capital growth by establishing mentorship programmes and bettering attorneys’ expertise via obligatory persevering with skilled growth.

He known as for deepening monetary autonomy for the judiciary and modernising courtroom infrastructure.

He promised to push for legislative amendments for efficient justice supply and digital submitting of circumstances.

He additionally promised to advertise case administration techniques, collaborate with anti-corruption companies, and strengthen the Human Rights Institute of the NBA.