By Abdulwahab  Abdulah
Two years after its activities were summarily put on hold, the Nigeria Bar  Association, NBA, Section of Business Law, SBL rejuvenates with its upcoming Annual SBL conference scheduled for June 17-20, 2012, where it aimed at exploring available resources to improve the lots of Nigerian Lawyers on commercial law practice in the country.

Already, President of the NBA,  Mr. Joseph  Daudu,  SAN sequel to an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Section held on  January 19, 2012, had inaugurated the new council to run the activities of the SBL.

Addressing journalists on the plans on ground for a successful outing on this year’s  SBL event, the chairman of its new committee, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode unfolded to the the media the several activities lined up for the three-days event.

According to Oyebode, the theme for the Conference is, “Global Legal Regime – Prospects and Challenges”, with a sub-theme,  “Trends in Global Legal Practice.”

Expressing his determinations to build strongly on the foundation laid by the previous leadership of the NBA SBL, Oyebode said, -”The present Council intends to build on this great work in order to ensure that the Section achieves its full potential.”

Achieving full potential

He therefore outlined some specific areas he thought the NBA needed to improve on, for its members to excel.

Majorly, he argued that part of what the SBL was out to achieve was to work on how members of the Bar would be encouraged on the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education.

He said, “It is not too far from the truth that for many Nigerian lawyers the successful completion of the Nigeria Bar Examination signifies the end of theoretical legal education. All other knowledge gained is usually ‘on the job’. This ought not to be the case as constant education is essential for a successful practice.”

“It is with this mindset that the Rules of Professional conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007 mandates Continuing Legal Education (CLE). The SBL intends to encourage CLE  and effectively utilize various avenues in accomplishing this objectives of continuously educating ourselves in conformity with societal demands and the increasing levels of Globalisation.”

Giving insight into what SBL would be out to achieve, Oyebode said the programme would show how lawyers give should back into the society what they gains from it. On Social Responsibility , he said, “There is a general perception that Corporate and Commercial Lawyers have no way of giving back to society or rendering pro-bono services to indigent citizens.

“This assumption is one to be erased and thus we intend to map out several programs and opportunities to particularly encourage SBL members to render pro-bono services. I have been in discussions with Prof.Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to determine ways in which we can collaborate with the NHRC. Also we welcome suggestions on how this can be achieved.”

The annual event scheduled to hold at the Eko Hotels and Suites,  promised to be evolving. According to Oyebode, the inclusion of  all stakeholders about the programme, and the enlargement of its membership expressed the willingness of the NBA and his council to excel.

To build on the success earlier achieved on SBL, he said it was vital for NBA “to re-brand and strategise on some internal policies of the SBL. This is particularly important in order to gain nationwide acceptance and support.”

He therefore promised that henceforth,  venue of the SBL Conferences  will be rotated across the country while it would also strengthen the size of Committees to include major stakeholders.

Already, nine committees have been put in place to work out and coordinate the sessions which revolve around the theme of the conference.

Topics expected to be covered during the programme include –  Aviation, Travel, Tourism & Hospitality, Arbitration & ADR, NBA Macro Committee, Energy & Environment. SBL Young Lawyers Forum is also expected to Shape the mindset of young lawyers for entrepreneurship in the legal profession; Mentoring , a successful key tool for successful entrepreneurship in the legal profession and

Basic Understanding of Entrepreneurship as it relates to Law as a Business.

The Aviation will address current trends in resolving carriage by air disputes,  Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol,  regulatory requirements for doing Aviation Business in Nigeria. Travel, Tourism & Hospitality, will address the Double Negative Impact of Global Terrorism and Recession and the  Utilization of the Law to revive growth in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Arbitration & ADR will consider issue regarding new skills in dispute resolution and Protecting the Res in Arbitration.

On Energy & Environment will address issue on ‘ the Once Green Land – In Consideration of the People of the Niger Delta, ‘Much Ado About Local Content – Balancing the Objectives of Capacity Building Against the Security of Investment Risks; The Power Plan That Lasts – Implementing Sustainable Power Supply In Nigeria’s Dynamic Environment.