By Nnamdi Ojiego

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie recently delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2022 edition of the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

 Her speech which many called the “address of the year,” has since generated positive reactions from different corners.

It is trending all over social media, with netizens speaking on why such a brilliant speech is needed at this crucial time in Nigeria’s history.

She began her keynote address by acknowledging the great regard in which the legal profession is held, noting the aptness and timeliness of the theme of the conference, “Bold Transitions”.

Comparing modern-day society’s definition of troublesome and how the NBA has constructively changed this definition, Adichie said: “The Nigerian Bar Association was troublesome during Nigeria’s years of military rule because of your longstanding tradition of fighting for human rights, fairness, and equity. For the good of the Nigerian people”.

Touching points on the association’s contributions to ensuring a law-abiding state, she said:”During the END SARS protest, the NBA spoke out firmly about the illegal and immoral use of force and outlined clear steps to prevent its recurrence, for the good of the Nigerian people”.

Nigeria and Nigerians over the years have suffered a negative reputation, tainted image, and patriotic shame because of the high rate of corruption and deficit in the country’s legal sector, a factor Adichie says is responsible for the lack of heroes in the country. “So many young people are hungry for figures they can look up to, for examples of integrity”.

Emphasising the duties of the NBA, she said, “The Nigeria legal profession is in a unique position to give us more heroes”.

 Noting the significance of Nigerians in ensuring the country is healed of its current rot, Adichie encouraged, “But we know that we can change things, no matter how small, we know that the beginning of a bold transition can sometimes take just one person”.

She gave an example of how Nigerians have tried to help the country move from opaque cults into transparent systems. “The digitisation of law records in some parts of Nigeria, too few parts of Nigeria, have often been because of one person and have resulted in massive benefits for so many people”, she said.

The TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” award recipient noted the impossibility of starting a bold transition with the premise of pessimism. “It must embrace audacity, the audacity of being both troublesome and innovative”, she added.

Adichie, during her speech, said it was important for everyone to speak out against injustice and tyranny, even if it involves them being called troublemakers. “Federal and state security dragging journalists to prison is tyranny. A journalist ill-treating his domestic worker is also tyranny. The disproportionate police targeting and murder of young men is tyranny, and the rape of women and girls by young men is also tyranny. It is tyranny when the government does not pay pensioners until they die as broken people”.

One of the major highlights of her keynote address was Adichie’s criticism of the disparity in prize money for the male and female football teams of the NBA. Using the moment as a pivotal opportunity to demonstrate bold transitions, Adichie registered that the disparity of men receiving N500,000 while their female counterparts were getting N200,000 in prize money did not reflect the conference theme. Adichie’s comments inspired members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and dignitaries at the event to take turns making voluntary donations for the female category, raising the prize money to N3.2 million for the women.

In her closing remarks, she called for transparency in the legal system, especially in their role in the upcoming elections.

Held at the Eko Atlantic and Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, the 2022 event with over 13,000 delegates is arguably the largest legal gathering on the African continent.