Reputable legal luminaries and respected personalities from all walks of life would on Friday 7th October, 2016 converge at the Grandball Room, Civic Centre, Lagos for the 2016 edition of the prestigious annual Nigerian Legal awards, an event organized to celebrate honour, recognize and celebrate the important contributions to the growth of businesses in Nigeria.
In a chat with journalists, Lere Fashola, CEO of Legal Blitz Limited and convener of the award, Lere Fashola stressed the significance of the event for the legal profession, businesses and the nation.
According to him, the event will serve as a bridge between economy and law. Since its maiden edition, the NLA has expanded in focus, scope and fanfare, with the introduction of the ‘40 Under 40 category, the Awards has opened a novel chapter in the life of the country, especially by organising a unique platform committed to celebrating impactful and value-added young lawyers who are cutting their teeth in the profession.
In addition to the fun that comes with the event, this year’s award has been taken a step further by organising a platform for discussion. Consequently, a value-added and solution-proffering panel discussion has been constituted to bring together professionals, experts and economic regulators to brainstorm on charting a new course for the economic recovery of Nigeria.
The discussion, which will have in attendance, captains of industry and leading legal icons will focus on the theme: Restructuring vs Rebuilding: Bringing Life Back to the Nigerian Economy.” This theme will explore the economic imperatives to restructuring of Nigeria beyond the political rhetoric.
According to Fashola, “every positive minded Nigerian understands the most urgent and pressing challenges of the country but it is irksome to find that once people attain the position of leadership in the country, they always seek to avoid the needful. Yet no nation has ever survived its own self inflicted crisis.
“Nigeria is blessed with all that many nations spend billions of dollars to seek yet over 60 years after independence, the country has not being able to step beyond some of the most mundane challenges. What does the future hold for the Nigerian child? Nigeria beyond Oil? What are those legal and regulatory challenges hindering investments and how do we overcome those challenges that are setting us against ourselves?”
As part of this year’s event, ESQ shall be honouring some reputable Nigerians who have made cutting-edge contribution to the legal profession and the country at large. Among this year’s honourees are: Honourable Justice Emmanuel Ayoola CON, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and former Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Honourable Justice Dulcie Ethel Adunola Oguntoye OFR., Second Female Judge in Nigeria and the oldest living Female Judge in Nigeria, a British woman who relinquished her British Citizenship in order to serve Nigeria meritoriously, Chief Mrs Hairat Balogun, the oldest and first female Attorney General of Lagos, a Bar woman per excellence and former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association whose record of service to the NBA remains ever green, Mr Razaq Yemi Adeola, The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Plc.,one of the leading commercial banks in Nigeria, which has been championing employee satisfaction through reforms in working conditions of employees and also the One Bank Customer practice thereby making the Bank’s Customer King.
Other are: Mr Augustine Alegeh SAN, immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association, who led innovative reforms in the Nigerian Bar Association and is today celebrated by many progressive lawyers in Nigeria, Mr Adebayo Ojo SAN, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice who has made outstanding contributions to the development of Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution in Africa, Mr Audu Maikori, President, Chocolate City, a foremost youth advocate, lawyer and Entertainment Investor who has made considerable contributions to the development of the Entertainment law practice in Nigeria.
Channels Television, a Television station that has been committed to the promotion of the legal profession through the weekly bulleting known as The Law Weekly a programme which showcases legal development in Nigeria.
Also, this year’s award also recognises the invaluable contributions of the Thisday Newspaper to the development of the Legal Profession in Nigeria through the weekly pool-out known as Thisday Lawyer and the Business Day Newspaper through the Business Law Weekly publication.
