By ABAH ADAH, Abuja
It was excitement galore on Tuesday in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, as the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) held its 2025 Fellowship Lecture and 19th conferment of the Institute’s Honorary Fellowship on deserving Nigerians. At this year’s event, four eminent legal luminaries: former Attorneys General of the Federation and Ministers of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi and Muhammad Bello Adoke, the immediate past Director General (DG) of NIALS, Prof. Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, and Mr. Yusuf Alli, SAN, also a veteran who was represented, were conferred with the prestigious Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (FNIALS).
The awards were presented to them during a ceremony held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, on Tuesday, with the theme: “Law, Politics, and Economic Development; Nigeria at Crossroads”.
Declaring the programme open, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, Council of NIALS, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, charged members of the bench to strive to meet the demands of the judiciary’s constitutional mandate in a transparent manner, which, according to her, should manifest in fidelity to the law, impartiality and its application, and courage in its defence.
“At a moment when our nation confronts complex socio-economic pressures and shifting political expectations, the primacy of Rule of Law becomes even more evident,” she said.
“For the judiciary, this reality carries a solemn charge. Our constitutional mandate demands fidelity to the law, impartiality in its application, and courage in its defence. Public trust, which is the lifeblood of Justice, must be earned every day through transparent processes, reasoned decisions, and unwavering commitment,” she noted.
She commended the institute’s leadership for preserving this tradition and for continuing to elevate the quality of public discourse in the country, and pledged to support the institute in whatever ways possible to ensure the completion of its permanent site project along the Airport Road.
In his remarks earlier, Chairman, NIALS Body of Fellows, who doubled as chairman of the event, Rtd. Hon. Justice Umaru Abdullahi, reiterated his appeal to the CJN, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and other stakeholders to join hands to ensure that the NIALS Permanent Site project along the Airport Road is expeditiously executed.
Also, while making his welcome remarks much earlier, the DG/CEO of NIALS, Prof. Abdulqadir Ibrahim Abikan, explained the essence of the annual event and gave some insight into the programme.
Congratulating the new honorees, Abikan explained that they were meritoriously nominated for the prestigious award in celebration of excellence, going by their past achievements and exemplary standards of integrity and hard work, which had greatly impacted the development of the legal profession, society, and humanity in general.
He equally made a passionate appeal to well-meaning individuals as well as corporate bodies to come to the aid of NIALS in developing its permanent site, which, according to him, “is a large expanse of land covering 10.3 hectares, already fenced, and has its administrative building at foundation level”.
Highlights of the event were the Fellows’ Lecture delivered by the Guest Lecturer, Mr. George Etomi (FNIALS), and the conferment of the institute’s Honorary Fellowships.
Doing justice to the topic: “Law, Politics, and Economic Development; Nigeria at Crossroads”, the Guest Speaker, Mr. Etomi, explored the requisite interplay between law, politics, policy making, and economic development, arguing that a functional, predictable legal framework is the indispensable “Architect of Society” necessary to constrain political power and create the certainty required for sustainable economic growth.
According to him, “the nation’s systemic governance crisis is rooted not in the absence of policy or law, but in widespread, institutionalized non-compliance with its own legal instruments.
“This non-compliance manifests as a weak enforcement of contracts, arbitrary regulatory application, and compromised accountability, leading to reduced government revenue, deterred Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), and eroded public trust in the judiciary”.
In his acceptance speech on behalf of the honorees, Professor Ladan expressed profound gratitude to the NIALS Governing Council and the management team led by NIALS DG, Professor Abdulqadir Ibrahim Abikan, for the award.
“Permit me to express our gratitude to the NIALS Governing Council and the management under the leadership of the DG, Professor Abdulqadir Ibrahim Abikan,” he said.
“It is a great honour to be recognised by this esteemed Institute, and to join the ranks of eminent jurists and legal practitioners. I would like to start by saying that honestly, it is a great honour to be honoured by this Institute, to be part of distinguished or eminent jurists in the judiciary and also in legal practice.
“And I would say that one could actually begin to question whether some of us can actually fit into the shoes of some of the previous honorees like the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, who was also the President of the World Court at a time. I’m talking about Justice Teslim Olawale Elias.
“On behalf of today’s honorees, I would like to express our gratitude once more, to the DG and his team for deeming us fit to be conferred with today’s Fellowship Award. Thank you very much for being with us and for honouring the vocation of the institute,” he concluded.