The NBA Remuneration Committee has called for contributions from members of the NBA and its special interest groups on any matter that will facilitate the process of designing a workable and enforceable framework under which lawyers will charge appropriately for their legal services using acceptable and realistic metrics; and ensuring that fees earned trickle down, in terms of reasonable living wages and emoluments, to those who work with, or for, the lawyers. The statement calling for contributions, which was signed by the Publicity Secretary of the NBA, reads in full:

NBA REMUNERATION COMMITTEE: CALL FOR MEMORANDA AND INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN TOWNHALL MEETINGS

Dear Colleagues,

You would recall that the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had set up a Remuneration Committee for the NBA (the “Committee”) with the mandate to design a workable and enforceable framework under which lawyers will (i) charge the right fees for their legal services using acceptable and realistic metrics; and (ii) ensure that those fees, when earned, trickle down, in terms of reasonable living wages and emoluments, to those who work with, or for, the lawyers.

In furtherance of their mandate, the Committee recently carried out a survey, amongst lawyers, through a firm of consultants. We are grateful to all our members who participated in the survey.

Based on the preliminary feedback from that survey and other inputs that have been received, the Committee is calling for contributions in the form of memoranda, proposals, and position papers from members of the NBA and its special interest groups on any matter that will facilitate the actualization of the above stated mandate. All memoranda, position papers and proposals, addressed to the Chairman of the Committee, are to be submitted to the National Secretariat at NBA House, Plot 1101 Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District. FCT Abuja, not later than 6pm on Friday, 3 September 2021 or electronically to the email of the Committee’s secretariat: nbaremuneration@nigerianbar.org.ng

In addition, the Committee will be organizing townhall meetings on the “Regulation of Charges and Fees for Legal Practitioners in Nigeria” and “Fixing Standard Remuneration for Lawyers in Employment”. You are hereby specially invited to be a part of these incisive virtual meetings, scheduled to take place on 27th August 2021 and 3rd September 2021 respectively and by 11am on each day.

To participate, kindly register through this link: bit.ly/NBATownhall1, for the 27th day of August; and through this link: bit.ly/NBATownhall2, for the 3rd day of September 2021.

The NBA appreciates that the issues around remuneration (whether of private practitioners, law officers or in-house counsel) and scale of charges are sensitive and require a well-thought-out and all-embracing approach in dealing with them, hence the need for these engagements which will enable the Committee to properly deliver on its mandate to the NBA and Nigerian lawyers.

We look forward to receiving your memoranda and to your active participation at the townhall meetings.

Dr. Rapulu Nduka
Publicity Secretary,
Nigerian Bar Association

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