Lawyers Ask Court To Declare NBA’s Education Institute Illegal

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has been urged to declare the Nigerian Bar Association’s Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBA-ICLE) illegal and to order a refund of fees allegedly collected from Nigerian lawyers over several years.

The request is contained in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) against the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2758/2025 and filed on December 19, 2025, ALDRAP is asking the court to shut down the NBA-ICLE, alleging that it has operated unlawfully since its establishment in 2007.

ALDRAP, whose members are lawyers primarily engaged in legislative drafting and advocacy, contends that the NBA-ICLE is not registered or incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as required under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020, and earlier legislations.

Among the reliefs sought is a declaration that the operation of the NBA-ICLE without incorporation renders it illegal, unlawful, null and void.

The plaintiffs also want the court to declare that the institute’s operation as a vocational and professional training body without a licence from the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education (NBTVE) violates Section 5 of the NBTVE Act.

The legislative lawyers further argued that the name “NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education” is misleading and deceptive, as it gives the impression of a duly incorporated and statutorily recognised institution, when in fact it is not registered under CAMA.

In addition, ALDRAP is asking the court to declare that all certificates issued by the NBA-ICLE are legally defective and unenforceable, having been issued without statutory authority.

The plaintiffs also seek an order of perpetual injunction restraining the NBA from further operating or holding out the NBA-ICLE as a continuing legal education or certification body in Nigeria, as well as an order directing the immediate shutdown of the institute.

On the issue of refunds, ALDRAP wants the court to order the NBA to refund N1.2m, being N150,000 paid annually over eight years (2017–2024) as Continuing Legal Education (CLE) provider fees to the NBA-ICLE. The group is also asking for a refund of all monies allegedly collected from Nigerian lawyers nationwide since 2007 under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programme.

The plaintiffs further asked the court to compel the NBA to render a full account of all funds collected through the NBA-ICLE since 2007 and to nullify all regulatory directives, accreditations and certifications issued by the institute.

ALDRAP posed six questions for the court’s determination, including whether the NBA-ICLE, having operated for over 17 years without registration with the CAC, qualifies as a legally recognised juristic entity capable of operating in Nigeria.

The court is also being asked to determine whether the institute’s activities as a training and certification body, without NBTVE licensing, contravene the NBTVE Act, and whether certificates issued by the NBA-ICLE are valid and enforceable.

In an affidavit in support of the originating summons, the Administrative Secretary of ALDRAP, Jesse Williams Amuga, stated that the NBA-ICLE has never been registered with the CAC nor obtained any licence, approval or accreditation from the NBTVE.

Amuga averred that ALDRAP was compelled to register annually as a CLE provider with the NBA-ICLE between 2017 and 2024, paying N150,000 each year in the belief that the institute was legally constituted and statutorily authorised.

He claimed that substantial sums of money have been collected from Nigerian lawyers under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education scheme without lawful authority, adding that lawyers have faced sanctions and denial of practice privileges for alleged non-compliance with NBA-ICLE directives.

According to the deponent, the actions of the NBA, through the NBA-ICLE, amount to illegality, regulatory abuse and unjust enrichment, and unless restrained by the court, the alleged unlawful practices will continue.

ALDRAP maintained that the suit was filed in good faith and in the public interest, urging the court to grant all the reliefs sought in the interest of justice and the rule of law.