Lawyering in the 21st Century, Nigerian Lawyers Must Be Ready – Olumide Akpata
Immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law NBA-SBL Mr. Olumide Akapta has expressed his views on some of the biggest trends in the global legal market today, especially (Nigerian Lawyers) becoming sophisticated in the 21st century.
Akpata bears his mind on Lawyering in the 21st century and the readiness of Nigerian Lawyers in the global Legal Market
Mr. Olumide Akpata was asked recently in a one-on-one interview with the LawDigest, if he thinks the legal market in Nigeria, as it is at this moment, is prepared for globalisation?
Akpata responded, “I have to be honest, the answer to your question is ‘NO’. The legal market in Nigeria, as it is at this moment, is not prepared for globalisation. But the good news is that this can be changed with the right policies. Nigerian lawyers can certainly meet the desires of a highly sophisticated clientele if they improve on their capacity and are enabled by a more efficient, reliable and effective legislative support and judicial system.”
Akpata said, “Gone are the days when the legal profession was considered esoteric by timid clients and when lawyers were viewed with an air of mystique. Today, most clients, especially players in corporate Nigeria, are sophisticated – they already have an idea of what exactly they require or demand from us, and where and when we are deficient, they know”.
Olumide Akpata said, “It is for this and other reasons that for the last decade, some of us have been advocating for significant improvement in the quality and standard of the legal services that we render to our 21st century clients.”
“There is a famed saying in the law that you cannot give what you don’t have. We need a substantial overhaul of the education that our law students receive both at the Nigerian Law School and, very importantly too, at the variuos universities.
“As I have said countless times, I cannot comprehend how law students in 2020 are receiving the same education that I received over 30years ago. Meanwhile their counterparts in developed as well as developing economies are being taught courses and modules that reflect the current economic realities”, he highlighted.
Akpata in a determined mood said, “I am of the view that, sad as it may sound, if we continue at this rate, the term “Nigerian-trained lawyer” may come to connote limitations. We must there go beyond wishes and prayers and actually do something about it. Thankfully, the NBA is well placed to tackle these problems. The Director-General and all the lecturers of the Nigerian Law Schools are lawyers, the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education is also a lawyer, it is up to the NBA, therefore, to partner with these distinguished members to effect a transformational change to the legal training that prospective lawyers in Nigeria receive.”
Similarly, Akpata said, we must stop paying lip service to the mandatory continuing legal education for already qualified lawyers. It is the minimum required of the Nigerian Bar Association.
On whether he shares concerns on the quality of young and upcoming lawyers which has also been a major concern for many senior lawyers, Akpata said “Yes, I do. But it is not necessarily the fault of most of the young lawyers. I have mentioned that the system and content of our legal education needs to be reviewed and upgraded to cater for contemporary realities.
“Having said that, I must however encourage the young lawyers to take their destinies in their own hands; The need for personal development cannot be overemphasized.
”Thankfully, with the internet, resources that were not available during our early days abound now and are easily accessible and affordable.”
Read full interview from LawDigest Click Here: LawDigest Olumide Akpata’s Interview
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