NBA section on Business Law pledges more cooperation with general counsel

THE Council Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Section on Business Law (SBL), Mr. Asue Ighodalo has pledged more cooperation with general counsel.

    He said that SBL is concentrating on stabilising the Section, bringing back old members as well as winning new members and re-establishing focus.

    He made the comment in Lagos at a dinner weekend hosted by the Council to enable them mingle with their colleagues in the corporate world.

    SBL is one of the specialist sections of the NBA, set up to enhance the professional development of the Nigerian commercial lawyers and raise the level of business seminars, trainings and formal and informal interactions for its members and stakeholders.

    He said: “Since 2012 when the SBL got its second wind, Governing Council, first chaired by Gbenga Oyebode MFR and since August 2014, by me, has focused on stabilising the section, brining back old members, winning new members and re-establishing our focus. We believe we have gone some way in achieving all of these. We also now believe that we must raise the bar and assure the true value of membership to all of our members, support the leadership of the NBA to attain some of its objectives and continue to impact our larger society. 

    Over the next two years, we intend to pay particular attention to improving Continuing Legal Education (CLE), establishing better relationships and interfacing with industry regulators and influencing policy formulation and law making to assure a more enabling business environment.”

    He added that they have set up a committee dedicated to training, chaired by Dr. Adeoye Adefulu and Mr. Tolulope Aderemi as the vice chairman. “The committee has begun the process of identifying the training needs of SBL members, particularly our young lawyers and is designing the required curriculum. Hopefully, in the near future, that committee can emerge as a dedicated SBL training school.

    “We are also discussing with Law Society of England and Wales on possible training programmes. We have set up the SBL Research and Publicity Committee, chaired by Theodora Kio-Lawson. The committee is responsible for the production and circulation of online law publications, newsletters and business law journals on contemporary legal and business issues”, he stated, adding that the first edition of the SBL Aggregator, an online newsletter was circulated last week to members, corporate counsel and key stakeholders with good feedback.

    Ighodalo who announced that the 9th edition of the Annual Business Law Conference would hold between 7th and 9th of June 2015 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos asked for more active participation by members.