The Advocacy for Bar Licence Freedom (ABLIF) has announced a temporary suspension of its planned public actions against the Nigerian Bar Association Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBA-ICLE), following a new directive issued by the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
The development marks a major milestone in ABLIF’s sustained campaign against the controversial Continuing Professional Development (CPD) policy, which had threatened to revoke the licenses of legal practitioners who failed to meet the required CPD points annually.
In a statement signed by Amb. Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, Esq., ABLIF commended lawyers nationwide for their unwavering support, noting that their collective effort has “paved way for a review” of what it described as an “obnoxious policy.”
According to the release, within 24 hours of launching an online petition titled “Prevent NBA’s CPD Policy from Revoking Lawyers’ Licences,” the campaign gained over 373 signatures, more than 377 shares, and over 1,100 views — demonstrating the wide public interest and discontent.
Highlighting key points of the NBA President’s directive issued on 24th June, 2025, ABLIF noted the following reforms:
While commending these developments, ABLIF expressed caution over the ambiguity surrounding whether failure to meet CPD requirements could still lead to license revocation. As such, the group urged members to remain vigilant.
“We suspend our actions on the CPD Policy only, including the online petition, while we continue to engage relevant authorities to ensure that NBA policies support, not suppress, Nigerian lawyers,” the statement read.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi and Elie Wiesel, ABLIF reaffirmed its commitment to justice and sustained advocacy, declaring: “It is not over until it is over. A luta continua, vitória é certa.”
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