The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched a strategic partnership to expand access to quality pro bono legal services for vulnerable children across Nigeria.
  
The initiative, unveiled at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, is aimed at strengthening access to justice, protection and effective legal representation for children, particularly those affected by abuse, trafficking, exploitation, child marriage, neglect, violence and other forms of vulnerability.
  
The meeting brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s justice and child protection sectors, including representatives of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Law School, Nigerian Correctional Service, National Judicial Institute, UNICEF, development partners, civil society organisations, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and other institutions involved in child justice.
  
Speaking at the event, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), described the initiative as “more than the beginning of a partnership,” saying it represented “a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to ensuring that every child in Nigeria, regardless of circumstance or background, can access justice, protection, and effective legal representation.”
  
Osigwe said despite progress made through the Child Rights Act and other child protection frameworks, many children still face formidable barriers to justice.
  
According to him, vulnerable children, including victims of abuse, trafficking, exploitation, harmful traditional practices, child marriage, neglect and violence, as well as children in conflict with the law, often lack the legal support required to protect and enforce their rights.
  
He said denying such children access to legal representation amounted to a collective failure of both society and the legal profession.
  
“As legal practitioners, we are not merely interpreters of the law; we are guardians of justice and defenders of the rights of the most vulnerable. 
  
“The legal profession carries both a privilege and a responsibility to ensure that those who cannot afford legal services are not excluded from the protection that the law provides,” he said.
  
The NBA President said the partnership would translate that responsibility into concrete action by mobilising lawyers nationwide to provide quality pro bono representation for children, strengthening referral pathways among justice and child protection institutions, building the capacity of lawyers to handle child-sensitive cases and promoting a justice system anchored on the best interests of the child.
  
He said the initiative was consistent with the NBA’s longstanding commitment to public-interest law and Nigeria’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to access to justice, strong institutions and child protection.
  
Osigwe commended UNICEF for its sustained support for child protection systems in Nigeria, noting that discussions during the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference had highlighted the urgent need to improve access to justice for children and helped lay the foundation for the current collaboration.
  
He stressed that effective child protection could not be achieved by any single institution, acknowledging the critical roles of government agencies, the judiciary, law enforcement, civil society organisations, development partners, legal aid providers and community-based organisations.
  
In a direct appeal to lawyers across the country, Osigwe urged every NBA branch, law firm, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and young lawyer to embrace pro bono representation of vulnerable children as a core professional responsibility.
  
“When a child survivor of abuse requires legal representation, let there be a lawyer ready to stand by that child. When a child is unlawfully detained or denied due process, let there be a lawyer ready to defend that child’s rights.   
  
“When a child is subjected to trafficking, forced marriage, exploitation, neglect, or any form of violence, let a lawyer be willing to act,” he said.
  
He emphasised that pro bono legal service should not be regarded as charity but as an expression of justice and professional responsibility.
  
According to him, the true measure of the legal profession extends beyond commercial transactions and dispute resolution to its willingness to protect society’s most vulnerable members and strengthen public confidence in the rule of law.
  
To institutionalise the initiative, the NBA President challenged branches of the Association to establish or strengthen child-focused pro bono schemes and urged law firms to dedicate professional time to child protection cases.
  
He also called on Senior Advocates of Nigeria to mentor younger lawyers in child-sensitive legal practice and encouraged young lawyers to make pro bono service an integral part of their professional identity.
  
Reaffirming the NBA’s commitment to the partnership, Osigwe assured stakeholders that the Association would provide the leadership, coordination and institutional structures necessary to mobilise lawyers nationwide, strengthen professional capacity, facilitate referrals and broaden access to quality legal representation for children.
  
Looking ahead, he expressed optimism that the collaboration would mark a significant turning point in Nigeria’s child justice system.
  
“Years from now, when the story of child justice reform in Nigeria is written, let it be said that the Nigerian legal profession answered the call. 
  
“Let it be said that when vulnerable children needed champions, members of the Nigerian Bar Association stood up, stepped forward, and made justice accessible to those with nowhere else to turn,” he said.
  
The NBA-UNICEF partnership is expected to strengthen child-sensitive legal services nationwide by mobilising legal practitioners, improving coordination among justice-sector and child-protection institutions, and ensuring that vulnerable children receive the legal support required to safeguard their rights and secure their future.