Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged legal practitioners across Nigeria to transcend conventional statutory interpretation and focus instead on driving national development, safeguarding democracy, and advancing substantive justice. Osinbajo delivered this address as the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), which was hosted by the Abia State government in the capital city of Umuahia.
During his presentation, the former Vice President highlighted the critical need for people-oriented public interest advocacy. He stressed that legal practice must actively prioritize citizens' welfare, broad access to justice, employment generation, quality healthcare, education, and the fundamental protection of marginalized groups within society.
"The true measure of democracy lies not merely in the conduct of elections or formulation of government policies, but in its capacity to improve the living conditions of ordinary citizens," Osinbajo stated during the conference.
Addressing institutional challenges, he cautioned that widespread poverty, systemic corruption, high unemployment, and a steady decline in public trust toward democratic institutions continue to pose severe threats to Nigeria's democratic progress and stability.
How must the legal profession evolve?
Osinbajo emphasized that the success of a democratic state must be evaluated by the everyday experiences of its populace and their ability to secure fair legal redress, maintaining that a genuinely just society must safeguard every individual.
To meet these modern demands, the former Vice President challenged legal professionals to commit to continuous professional development. He urged them to build core competencies in emerging fields such as digital technology, professional negotiation, alternative dispute resolution, institutional management, and critical analysis, while exercising caution to properly verify information generated by artificial intelligence tools.
What was the perspective of the host governor?
Speaking at the same event, Abia State Governor Alex Otti called upon legal practitioners to ensure accessible justice for all Nigerians. Otti expressed appreciation for the judiciary's ongoing contributions to national building and reiterated that the courts must persistently serve as the ultimate sanctuary for citizens seeking equitable resolution and fairness.