At the Opening ceremony of the NBA AGC 2024, held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. it became an unforgettable experience for many lawyers, following apt presentations by dignitaries at the opening event.

The goodwill message delivered by her lordship, Preside of the Court of Appeal. Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem resonates aptly with the theme of the AGC Tagged Pressing Forward A National Posture for Rebuilding Nigeria.

In her goodwill message the PCA drove it home aptly thus:

“The theme of this conference Pressing Forward A National Posture for Rebuilding Nigeria, is a call on all of us to put self interest aside for the larger interest of our great nation Nigeria.

The choice of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Oweala as keynote speaker is very commendable. As D-G WTO and former Finance Minister of Nigeria, she brings a wealth of experience to this vital conference; we must, thus, capitalize on this momentum and commit to collective and selfless collaboration to propel our nation forward and up the ladder of prosperity.

“Artificial Intelligence is transforming the world at an unprecedented pace and in the legal parlance, few areas among others includes: Swift search for Patent data basis, detection of copyright infringement, intellectual property protection and a host of others.

“The NBA is strategically positioned to drive the economy of our great nation and stir its growth upwards.

“This can be achieved through the NBA sponsoring the development of software solutions that facilitates the adoption of artificial intelligence, with the aim of creating home-grown technological advancement and facilitating access to justice.

“By doing so. we can confidently compete in the world economy, and improve our narrative, but only if we remain focused and committed to selfless service

“The NBA should be the emancipator of our nation, and so, we should deploy our “learned ness” to heal and develop the nation

“I challenge lawyers to encourage politicians to spend more time on developing the nation rather than litigation which gulps up too much h time and resources. To achieve economic growth we must hold politiciand accountable for their promises to the masses

“Therefore, Pressing Forward will require a more nationalistic revolution in our own attitudes to survive as we work for the betterment of our nation.

“I commend the efforts invested by the current NBA President in projecting the place of women in the legal profession and propelling them for leadership as reflected in the choice of the keynote speaker ” she said

According to her lordship, Equity and vibrant justice should be fortified and demonstrated in the NBA.

She said that It is not encouraging that from inception only one female ascended to the seat of NBA president from 1991 to 1992

“It is quite sad that we have not had a female president of the bar for over 3 decades. ” she said

LegalDeskNG reports that the 2024 NBA AGC is billed to run from August 23 until August 28, 2024 in the city of Lagos.