Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, on Friday assumed office as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), promising to build a stronger, more united and economically empowered Bar, as she became the second female President of the NBA. She was sworn in at the Chief Judge’s Ceremonial Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during the 66th NBA Annual General Conference, succeeding Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, whose two-year tenure ended with the formal transfer of leadership.
Her inauguration marked a historic moment for the Nigerian legal profession, coming 34 years after Dame Priscilla Kuye became the first woman to lead the NBA.
In her inaugural address, Mrs Badejo-Okusanya sought to move beyond the divisions generated by the contest, declaring that she would be President not only of those who voted for her, but of every member of the Association.
Mrs Badejo-Okusanya told Lawyers that she did not seek the office simply to make history, but to make a difference, describing the mandate as “a trust to be discharged”, rather than a prize to be possessed. She appealed to her former co-contestants and their supporters to join her administration, insisting that the election was over and that the task ahead belonged to the entire profession. “There are no victors, no vanquished in the Nigerian Bar Association. There is only one Bar, one profession”, she said.
At the centre of her agenda is the economic welfare of Lawyers, particularly young and vulnerable practitioners. The new NBA President pledged to pursue better remuneration for Lawyers, strengthen compliance with the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order, and engage relevant authorities on measures capable of improving the economic conditions of members.
She also promised to modernise the Association’s operations through technology, and improve access to legal resources and other professional services.
She also placed professional discipline and the public image of the Bar high on her agenda, warning Lawyers against abusive and insulting conduct, particularly on social media. Badejo-Okusanya said the NBA would not tolerate conduct capable of bringing the legal profession into disrepute, signalling that her administration intends to combine welfare and reform with stronger professional accountability.
For Afam Osigwe, SAN, the end of his tenure was a moment to hand over the Association after two years marked by efforts to strengthen the institution. In a brief but symbolic ceremony, he administered the oath of office to his successor and presented her with the handover note, while urging her to remain determined in navigating the demands and challenges of the presidency.
LawPavilion Unveils Groundbreaking No-Hallucination AI
In a landmark development for the nation’s Judiciary, legal tech giant LawPavilion Business Solution Limited has officially launched a specialised artificial intelligence platform tailored exclusively for the Nigerian legal sector. Unveiled under the banner theme “Beyond Limits” at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the tool promises to redefine research methodologies and operational efficiency across law firms and courtrooms nationwide.
Addressing delegates at the Conference, the Managing Director of LawPavilion, Dr Ope Olugasa, highlighted that the newly introduced AI engine directly solves the pervasive industry problem of digital hallucination – a flaw where standard AI models fabricate false case precedents or inaccurate statutory citations. Built from the ground up, the proprietary system is trained strictly on verified local legal instruments, encompassing judgements from the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, Federal statutes, and regulatory guidelines.
“We are very excited to announce to the Nigerian legal industry, that we have built an AI system that does not hallucinate”, Olugasa declared. He explained that the infrastructure allows legal practitioners to draft opinions, analyse briefs, and cross-examine cited authorities with complete confidence, as every result links directly to traceable, authoritative sources within LawPavilion’s comprehensive legal repository.
Beyond standard research capabilities, the company announced major additions to its ecosystem, including the digital integration of the newly revived, 70-volume Sachet-Bowles Encyclopaedia of Case Laws in Nigeria – spanning precedent decisions from 1957 through 2026 – into its Prime and Primsol platforms. The software has also been upgraded with enhanced analytics to highlight judicial trends, track historical Judge rulings, and translate complex statutory language into plain context.
Addressing concerns surrounding the rise of automation in professional services, Olugasa reassured attendees that the technology aims to augment human intelligence rather than displace legal professionals. “AI can never replace Lawyers”, he emphasised. “Let technology handle linear thinking so that Nigerian Lawyers and Judges are free to execute lateral thinking – the creative problem-solving that truly solves cases”.
To streamline management workflows, LawPavilion also launched LawPavilion Elite, billed as the “digital branch” for modern law offices and corporate legal departments. The enterprise platform centralises case files, contract lifecycle monitoring, regulatory compliance tracking, and external counsel management into a unified dashboard, while incorporating stringent cybersecurity measures such as automatic entity redactions, to keep confidential client data completely off the public internet.
Reflecting on the firm’s 20-year history of advancing legal tech in the region, Olugasa reiterated LawPavilion’s commitment to ensuring local practitioners remain globally competitive. He concluded by asserting that the company remains dedicated to delivering world-class tools that empower Nigerian legal professionals, not merely to keep pace with international standards, but to lead innovation on the global stage.
Appellate Court Restores Presco Plc’s 2025 AGM and Corporate Rights Issue
The Court of Appeal, Benin Judicial Division, has overturned a controversial Federal High Court decision that previously nullified Presco Plc’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and frozen its corporate rights issue. Delivering the judgement in Appeal No. CA/B/220/2025, the appellate court resolved all three key legal issues fully in favour of the agricultural giant, effectively setting aside the lower court’s December 11, 2025 ruling.
The complex corporate dispute stems from a suit filed by minority shareholders, claiming to represent approximately 40% equity in Presco. The group had challenged the acquisition of a controlling 60% stake – previously held by SIAT SA and Saroafrica International Ltd – by Oak & Saffron Ltd, asserting that their existing right of first refusal was violated during the takeover transaction.
In the original ruling, Justice Prof. C.A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court had granted interlocutory orders favouring the minority shareholders, effectively voiding all decisions made during Presco’s August 19, 2025 AGM. The lower court order halted share issuances, commanded a return to pre-AGM status, and instructed regulatory bodies – including the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)—to withhold recognition of the transaction.
Swiftly challenging the verdict within 24 hours, Presco filed eight grounds of appeal, arguing that the lower court erred on critical matters of jurisdiction, constitutional fair hearing, and the legal standards governing injunctions.
The appellate court agreed with the Appellant, declaring that the trial court lacked jurisdiction and was functus officio, because a related appeal was already pending before the higher court.
Furthermore, the appellate court observed that the lower court erred fundamentally by attempting to restrain acts that had already been concluded. The Panel highlighted that the AGM had successfully taken place and the rights issue offer period was already closed with shares fully allotted, rendering the trial court’s retrospective injunction legally flawed and impractical to enforce.
Addressing procedural fairness, the appellate court ruled that Presco’s constitutional right to a fair hearing was breached, when the trial Judge failed to properly evaluate its counter-affidavit and written address. Additionally, the appellate court faulted the lower court for determining a motion that was never formally moved and granting sweeping unrequested reliefs, including the total nullification of the AGM.
By unanimously setting aside the lower court’s orders in their entirety, the Court of Appeal has cleared all regulatory and legal barriers surrounding Presco Plc’s corporate restructuring and capital raise. Concluding the judgement, the appellate court directed both parties involved in the matter, to bear their respective legal costs.