By Clement Nwabuko
UMUAHIA (PRECISE POST) – Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has challenged legal practitioners across the country to embrace technological advancement, continuously update their professional knowledge and prioritise access to justice for indigent and vulnerable Nigerians.
Otti gave the charge on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, while speaking at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), held at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
The governor, who described technology as an emerging reality reshaping the legal profession and other sectors, urged lawyers to prepare for the changing demands of their profession rather than resist technological innovations.
“Technology is real. Sometimes we pretend, but the point you (Prof. Osinbajo, keynote speaker) raised is very, very critical. It does not call for us to be afraid. It just calls for us to start thinking ahead of time,” Otti said.
He disclosed that his administration would soon commission 10 newly constructed court halls across the state, equipped with modern facilities to enhance judicial administration and improve the efficiency of justice delivery.
According to him, the facilities have renewable energy systems, digital infrastructure, broadband connectivity, Wi-Fi and digitalised court records to support modern judicial operations.
The governor explained that multiple broadband connections had been installed in the court halls to ensure uninterrupted connectivity, adding that lawyers and judicial officers could access relevant court records electronically rather than rely entirely on physical files.
Otti also announced plans to flag off the construction of new court facilities with 1,000-capacity auditoriums in Aba and Umuahia, assuring that they would have independent renewable energy sources.
Beyond infrastructure and technological advancement, the governor challenged lawyers to look beyond financial gains and embrace their responsibility to provide free legal assistance to indigent citizens, vulnerable persons and others unable to afford professional legal services.
He said the success of the NBA-SPIDEL conference should be measured by how its deliberations translate into improved access to justice and protection of the fundamental rights of ordinary Nigerians.
“Because you are lawyers, we need to go the extra mile of asking ourselves, beyond all the things that have been said, how can we be of service to people who cannot pay? How can we be of service to the vulnerable? How can we help people who, on their own, cannot afford to help themselves?” he asked.
Otti maintained that while roads, schools, hospitals, electric buses and environmental sanitation constituted the visible aspects of governance, the rule of law, justice and protection of citizens’ rights were equally critical components of sustainable development.
Illustrating the importance of public-interest legal practice, the governor recalled that shortly after assuming office, his administration discovered that some individuals were being held in correctional facilities without sufficient legal justification.
He said he subsequently directed the state Attorney-General to work with the Chief Judge to ensure that no person remained in a correctional facility without lawful grounds.
The governor also disclosed that he intervened in the case of a young female content creator who was remanded by a Magistrate Court until February 2027 over issues arising from online content.
According to him, upon receiving information about the matter, he directed the Attorney-General to take necessary steps to secure her release and engage those who felt offended by her actions.
He further revealed that he had asked the Attorney-General to intervene in the case of another young Abia woman detained in Lagos over allegations of cyberbullying, adding that he was later informed that she had been granted bail.
Otti said the interventions underscored the importance of public-interest law and the responsibility of legal practitioners to defend citizens whose financial circumstances make it difficult for them to seek justice.
The governor also disclosed that Abia currently had 40 electric buses, while another 30 had been loaded for delivery, expressing optimism that the state would have 70 electric buses operating across its communities before the end of 2026.
He attributed the initiative to improved electricity stability and his administration’s efforts to establish an independent power supply system outside the national grid.
Otti commended the NBA-SPIDEL for choosing Abia as the host state, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to welcome legal practitioners and other stakeholders to Umuahia.
Earlier, the keynote speaker and former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, urged lawyers to move beyond the traditional interpretation and application of the law and embrace their roles as social engineers and agents of positive change.
Osinbajo said legal practitioners must contribute to advancing justice, strengthening democracy and promoting national development through people-centred public-interest advocacy.
He identified citizens’ welfare, access to justice, job creation, healthcare, education and the protection of vulnerable groups as critical areas requiring the attention of lawyers.
The former vice president maintained that the strength of democracy should not be measured merely by the conduct of elections or formulation of government policies but by its ability to improve the living conditions of ordinary citizens.
He warned that poverty, corruption, unemployment and declining public confidence in democratic institutions remained significant threats to democratic development.
According to him, democracy must be assessed by how citizens experience governance and access justice, insisting that “a just society protects everyone.”
Osinbajo also challenged lawyers to embrace continuous learning and acquire relevant competencies in technology, negotiation, conflict resolution, institutional management and critical judgment, while ensuring that information generated by artificial intelligence is properly verified.
In her opening address, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, urged legal practitioners to uphold justice, accountability and public interest by ensuring that their professional responsibilities translated into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
Badejo-Okusanya said the conference, themed “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy, and Development,” was designed to promote discussions on how legal practice could address the challenges confronting ordinary citizens, particularly vulnerable groups.
She identified persons detained without legal representation, traders unable to afford litigation and children treated as adults in detention facilities as examples of citizens whose circumstances should inform conversations about justice and development.
The NBA president stressed that justice must guarantee effective remedies for victims of wrongdoing, democracy must give citizens meaningful voices in decisions affecting their lives, while development must improve their opportunities and living conditions.
She also condemned political violence across the country, calling for credible investigations and prosecution of those responsible for attacks on citizens participating in lawful political activities.
Badejo-Okusanya thanked Governor Otti for sponsoring the 2026 NBA-SPIDEL conference.
The event featured a panel discussion led by Justice Obisike Orji, with Prof. Pat Utomi, Dr. Sam Amadi and other prominent personalities participating.
The Chair of the NBA-SPIDEL Conference, Prof. Uju Agomuo, Chief Okey Amaechi and other dignitaries also participated in the presentation of plaques in recognition of individuals whose contributions supported the success of the event.
Several top government officials and other stakeholders attended the conference.
