The 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt has gotten off to a rocky start, with some lawyers expressing disappointment over the organisation of the event. Themed "Beyond Limits," the conference has drawn complaints from participants who say it falls short of last year's conference in Enugu. They criticised the event's organisation, hospitality, and intellectual quality of activities.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Monday Onyekachi Ubani, delivered an interim assessment of the conference, describing it as "lacklustre, uninspiring and, in several respects, deeply disappointing." He contrasted it with the Enugu edition, praising its organisation, traffic management, and hospitality. Ubani noted that the positive experience in Enugu had attracted a large turnout in Port Harcourt, especially among younger lawyers.
Ubani also criticised the quality of conference materials, particularly the conference bag, saying it failed to reflect the dignity and intellectual character expected of Africa's largest gathering of lawyers. He questioned the choice of some invited personalities, arguing that popularity and social media visibility should not take precedence over intellectual achievement, professional accomplishment, and scholarship.
Other participants raised concerns about feeding and welfare arrangements at the conference. A video circulating among lawyers showed participants struggling to access meals at a food distribution point. The NBA had announced that registered physical attendees were entitled to lunch on each of the three conference days, with digital meal tickets introduced for access to food stations.
Ubani said the lunch arrangements were not sufficiently centralised, while some tea-break venues were poorly organised. He also noted that some halls used during the first two days were hot and unsuitable for serious engagement. Ubani argued that participants dealing with heat, hunger, and congestion would struggle to concentrate fully on conference proceedings.
The complaints have revived concerns about Nigeria's inadequate convention facilities. Ubani called for purpose-built convention centres capable of accommodating at least 25,000 people, with adequate halls, air-conditioning, parking, security, sanitation, exhibition spaces, restaurants, electricity, and transportation. He urged the NBA to strengthen its planning, logistics, and guest selection.
While describing his assessment as interim, Ubani acknowledged that the remaining days could still improve the overall experience. He urged the NBA to prioritise intellectual substance over unnecessary spectacle and to "plan better," "organise better," and "select our guests with greater care."
Key points
- Some lawyers criticised the poor organisation of the 2026 NBA conference in Port Harcourt.
- Participants complained about inadequate feeding and welfare arrangements.
- The conference has revived concerns about Nigeria's inadequate convention facilities.
