A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Monday Onyekachi Ubani, said the 2026 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt fell short of expectations.
 
Ubani described the event as “lacklustre, uninspiring and, in several respects, deeply disappointing.”
 
The former 2nd vice president of the NBA, in an interim assessment of the conference, said the event had failed to match the high standards set by previous editions, particularly the 2025 conference in Enugu, which he described as one of the most memorable NBA conferences in recent history.
 
According to him, the glowing reviews that followed last year’s Enugu conference contributed significantly to the large turnout at this year’s gathering in Port Harcourt, particularly among younger lawyers eager to experience what had been presented as the best of the NBA’s yearly conferences.
 
“Sadly, my interim report so far is one of profound disappointment,” he said, adding that the conference could rank among the least inspiring in recent memory.
 
Ubani identified the quality of conference materials and general organisation as some of his major concerns, taking particular exception to the conference bag.
 
He said the bag did not reflect the “dignity, class and intellectual character” expected of Africa’s largest gathering of lawyers, describing it as resembling “an ordinary market woman’s bag.”
 
Beyond the logistics, the SAN expressed concern over the quality and suitability of some of the personalities invited to participate in the conference programme.
 
He argued that the NBA, as a professional body, should be more deliberate in selecting speakers and guests, insisting that popularity, celebrity status or social media following should not automatically qualify anyone to address a gathering of lawyers.
 
“There are certain personalities who should simply not grace a programme organised for lawyers, irrespective of their popularity, celebrity status or social media standing,” he said.
 
According to him, the NBA Annual General Conference should remain a serious professional and intellectual gathering where lawyers encounter leading minds, challenge established ideas and interrogate contemporary issues affecting law, society and the future of the profession.
 
“Entertainment has its place, but it must never replace intellectual substance,” he said.
 
Ubani also criticised what he described as the poor delivery of the presidential debate, saying although the idea behind the session was commendable, its execution fell below expectations.
 
His concerns extended to the welfare and comfort of participants, with the SAN lamenting the absence of properly organised and easily accessible tea-break venues and what he described as inadequate arrangements for lunch.
 
He also complained that some of the halls used during the first and second days were hot and uncomfortable, making them unsuitable for the serious intellectual engagements expected at the conference.
 
While such issues might appear minor, Ubani argued that the comfort and welfare of delegates were essential components of a successful conference.
 
“A lawyer who is struggling with heat, hunger, congestion and confusion cannot fully concentrate on the quality of discourse taking place around him or her,” he said.
 
The SAN, however, identified a broader structural problem confronting the NBA’s annual conferences: the shortage of purpose-built convention centres capable of accommodating gatherings of such magnitude.
 
He said a conference attracting tens of thousands of lawyers could no longer depend on facilities that were not designed for events of that scale.
 
Ubani therefore called for greater investment in modern convention infrastructure across the country, urging state governments to regard convention centres as essential infrastructure rather than luxury projects.
 
He proposed convention centres capable of accommodating at least 25,000 people, equipped with adequate halls, air-conditioning, parking spaces, security, sanitation, exhibition areas, restaurants, reliable electricity and efficient transportation arrangements.
 
“We have the resources to actualise this dream. What appears to be lacking is the necessary vision, planning and commitment,” he said.
 
Ubani urged the new administration to raise the standard of the association’s yearly conference and restore its appeal to members of the profession.
 
He called for better planning and organisation, more careful selection of guests, greater emphasis on intellectual substance and facilities commensurate with the status of the Nigerian legal profession.
 
The SAN maintained that the lawyers who travelled to Port Harcourt, especially younger members who came expecting an experience comparable to the highly praised conferences in Abuja and Enugu, deserved better.
 
“The NBA can do better. The NBA must do better,” Ubani said, insisting that the NBA’s yearly gathering must reflect the best traditions of the Nigerian legal profession.