Lagos — One event that will engage Nigerian lawyers for a long time is the just-concluded maiden conference of the Nigerian Bar Association's Section on Business Law which held last week at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja from March 26 - 29. The monumental success of the conference which had over 450 participants, including a sizeable number of delegates from the Bench, left Nigerian lawyers with a high sense of self esteem and self worth as to the talents and legal skills that abound on our shores. JUDE IGBANOI who attended the event reports

"As a result of the fundamental changes occurring in the regulatory framework underpinning various sectors of the economy, there is an urgent need for business lawyers to respond knowledgeably, competently and appropriately in guiding their clients through the ever-changing regulatory regime". This was part of the opening remarks of Mr. George Etomi, Chairman, Section on Business Law of the Nigerian Bar Association as he welcomed delegates to the conference.

The conference with the theme "Economic Reforms & Business Law Practice in Nigeria" kicked off on the evening of March 26 with a well attended welcome cocktail at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel with Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Lawal Uwais and a host of other Justices of the appellate and High courts present. From the convivial atmosphere that pervaded the cocktail, lawyers were in no doubt as to what awaited them at the main conference the following day.

The story of the NBA Section on Business Law dates as far back to ten years ago when Nigerian lawyers felt the need to organise themselves into individual associations for a closer and more efficient forum to interact. It took the visionary leadership of past NBA presidents from T.J. Okpoko, SAN, O.C.J. Okocha, SAN and Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN to bring this dream to fruition, and thus the Council of the NBA Section on Business Law was formally inaugurated on December 9, 2004 by Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN who was then President of the NBA. Known for his dynamism, the Section's Chairman was able to rally his Council members around and presented a report at the Annual General Conference of the NBA in Jos, August 2005. From the Jos conference, the Council received its full powers and an elated George Etomi quickly set up the various Committees of the Section and immediately started reaching out to very seasoned and knowledgeable members of the legal profession to co-opt them into the committees. What lawyers saw and experienced at the maiden conference last week in Abuja was simply a culmination of the efforts of this forward-looking Section on Business Law as promised by Etomi.

The Abuja programme was fully loaded, with an opening ceremony chaired by the ebullient Ejuwunmi, JSC and erstwhile NBA President, now Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN as Special Guest. The various Sessions were as engaging as they were enlightening and informative. In fact, a lawyer from Benue State Ministry of Justice said it was the best form of continuing legal education, which had eluded the Nigerian Bar for a long time.

Ther were various speakers, each experts in their fields, on hand to make engaging presentations and chair the sessions. They include Professor Fidelis Oditah, QC, SAN, Dr. Paul Idornigie of the BPE, Professor Desire Guobadia of NIALS and Mrs. Doyin Rhodes-Vivour, a seasoned Arbitrator.

Others were ICPC Chairman, Retired Justice Olayinka Ayoola, former Director NLS Retired Justice Olakunle Orojo and Hon. Mr. Justice Akintola Ejiwunmi.

Some of the sessions covered included: Reforms as a Means of Ensuring Safer Skies and Banking and Banking Reforms.

One of the most stimulating sessions had Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN as speaker and the topic was Build Operate Transfer Contracts, a Viable Option for Development? Organizers could not have chosen a better speaker than Dr. Babalakin, an accomplished advocate and acclaimed construction guru. The audience listened with rapt attention as Babalakinheld them spellbound whilst sharing his experiences in his odyssey in the mega-Dollar business of BOT. Participants unanimously concluded at the end of his paper that BOT in Nigeria is not a terrain for the lily-livered.

One of the sessions chaired by Olayinka Ayoola JSC (Rtd) saw revealing statistics and presentations by Messrs Paul Salay and Oliver Stople of the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes (UNODOC).

The last Session of the conference was on "The Role of The Judiciary In Giving Effect To Economic Reforms". This was chaired by former NBA President, Mr. O.C.J. Okocha, SAN. The paper was presented by Olisa Agbakoba OON, SAN. It was apparent that most of the participants had waited patiently for this paper. Delegates did not mind to wait so late to listen to this presentation as it affects both the Bar and the Bench. Even judges and Justices of appellate court also waited for this paper and as would be expected, the paper elicited quite an engaging discussion between lawyers and judges; and between litigation and corporate lawyers. According to Okocha and Agbakoba, in all these reforms and business transactions, conflicts must arise and when they do, only a strong justice delivery system and judiciary can assure the much sought confidence in the nation.

As certificates were awarded to conference participants, accolades were showered on the SBL Chairman George Etomi and his Council members for being forward-looking and dogged in the Section. The conference from all indications threw a challenge to its counterpart NBA Section on Legal Practice as lawyers kept asking "when will Practice Section wake up?" One innovation which the SBL has introduced into conferences is burning all the presentations on a CD ROM which would be sent to all participants, and even those who were not opportune to attend can benefit immensely therefrom.

The NBA Section on Business Law consists of 14 active Committees. They are: Arbitration & ADR, Aviation, Banking, Finance & Insolvency, Business Corporations & Organisations, Capital Markets, Communications, Construction & Real Estate.

Others are Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, International Sales & Related Transactions, Maritime, Rail & Road Transport, Taxation and Travel, Tourism & Hospitality.