As Nigeria grapples with over 53,000 awaiting trial inmates across custodial facilities in the country, experts have urged Nigerian lawyers to uphold professional standards while offering pro bono legal services.

They emphasised that providing free legal assistance should not translate to a decline in the quality or ethical standards of practice.

According to them, the essence of the pro bono service is to ensure that justice is accessible to all, particularly those who cannot afford legal representation, stressing that the noble goal can only be achieved when lawyers maintain diligence, competence, and integrity in their service delivery.

They spoke yesterday in Abuja at the Law for Humanity Summit 2025, convened by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC).

In his keynote address, renowned legal scholar Prof. Omoniyi Akinola noted that professionalism in pro bono practice would enhance public trust in the legal system and reflect positively on the image of the legal profession as a whole.

He pointed out that by maintaining high standards, lawyers would not only fulfil their duty to promote justice, but also demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and human rights.

The professor of Law at Baze University, Abuja, who is also a law clinician, advocated the inclusion of pro bono service as one of the criteria for the appointment of judges and notaries.

Speaking on the theme, ‘The quintessential pro bono lawyer: Providing value without compromising professional Standards’, Akinola highlighted the growing need for ethical legal aid in Nigeria’s justice sector.

According to him, while pro bono work bridges the gap between the privileged and the underrepresented, it must be carried out with the same level of dedication and excellence as paid legal services, saying: “Every client deserves the same quality of representation, regardless of their financial status. Pro bono should never mean substandard.”

Data obtained from the Nigerian Correctional Service yesterday revealed that as of October 2025, out of 80,532 total inmate population, 53,048 are awaiting trial (66 per cent), while 27,484 (34per cent) are convicted inmates.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), Lucy Abagi, called for deeper collaboration between the bar, bench, even as she made a case for sustained funding for pro-bono services.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Coordinator of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Pro Bono Centre, Halimat Yusuph; Bamidele Ibikunle of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria; and the Chairman of the NBA Garki Branch, Anthony Ojo, lauded the Centre for its unwavering commitment to promoting access to justice for indigent Nigerians.