A group of lawyers has approached the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, seeking an order for the immediate closure of the Nigerian Bar Association Institute of Continuing Legal Education, NBA-ICLE.
This request forms part of the reliefs being sought by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, in a suit filed against the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association.
ALDRAP is made up of legal practitioners who specialise mainly in legislative drafting and advocacy work.
The suit, with reference number FHC/ABJ/CS/2758/2025, was filed on December 19, 2025, by ALDRAP’s counsel, Chief Dr Ebosetale David Aighefoh, Esq.
Among the reliefs sought, ALDRAP is asking the court to declare that the operation of NBA-ICLE since 2007, without registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, is illegal, unlawful, null and void.
The legislative drafting lawyers are also urging the court to rule that the operation of NBA-ICLE as a vocational and professional training institution, without obtaining a licence from the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education, NBTVE, amounts to a violation of Section 5 of the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education Act.
They further requested the court to declare that the name “NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education” is misleading, deceptive and unlawful, as the institute has not been registered or incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.
ALDRAP is also seeking a declaration that all certificates issued by NBA-ICLE are legally defective, unenforceable and issued without statutory authority, given its status as an unregistered and unlicensed body.
The plaintiffs asked the court to grant “an order of perpetual injunction directing the defendant (NBA) from further operating, managing or holding out the NBA-ICLE as a Continuing Legal Education or certification body in Nigeria”, as well as “an order directing the defendant to shut down the NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education forthwith”.
In addition, ALDRAP wants the court to order the Nigerian Bar Association to refund N1.2 million, representing N150,000 paid annually over eight years, from 2017 to 2024, as Continuing Legal Education provider fees to NBA-ICLE.
The association is also asking the court to compel the NBA to refund all monies “illegally collected from Nigerian lawyers” nationwide since 2007 under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programme operated by NBA-ICLE.
The court was further requested to direct the NBA to provide a full account of all funds collected through NBA-ICLE since 2007, and to nullify all regulatory directives, accreditations and certifications issued by the institute.
ALDRAP listed six issues for determination by the court, including whether NBA-ICLE, having operated since 2007 without registration or incorporation under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 and previous legislations, qualifies as a legally recognised juristic entity capable of operating in Nigeria.
The court is also expected to decide whether NBA-ICLE’s activities as a training and certification body, issuing vocational and professional certificates without a licence from the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education, contravene Section 5 of the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education Act, 1977, as amended in 1993.
Another issue before the court is whether the continued use of the name “NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education” is deceptive, unlawful and contrary to the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, considering that the institute is not incorporated.
The court will further determine whether certificates issued by NBA-ICLE are valid and enforceable, whether the plaintiff is entitled to a refund of monies paid annually for eight years as a “purported Continuing Legal Education Provider”, and whether the NBA is liable to refund all monies collected from Nigerian lawyers since 2007 under the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programme.
In an affidavit supporting the originating summons, Jesse Williams Amuga, a lawyer and Administrative Secretary of ALDRAP, stated that despite operating for more than 17 years, NBA-ICLE is not registered with the CAC under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.
He pointed out that under Section 5 of the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education Act, 1977, as amended in 1993, “no institution shall operate or issue vocational certificates without a licence from the National Board for Technical and Vocational Education, NBTVE”.
Amuga emphasised that NBA-ICLE has never obtained any licence, approval or accreditation from the NBTVE, adding that he is not aware of any statutory exemption granted to the institute.
“The name ‘NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education’ is misleading and deceptive as it gives the false impression of being a duly incorporated and statutorily recognized institute. The continued use of the said name violates the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, which mandates registration of entities carrying on institutional and commercial activities,” he stated in the affidavit.
He further informed the court that between 2017 and 2024, ALDRAP was required to apply annually to register as a Continuing Legal Education provider with NBA-ICLE, and in the process paid N150,000 each year, amounting to N1.2 million over eight years.
Amuga said the payments were made in the belief that NBA-ICLE was a legally constituted and statutorily authorised body.
“The plaintiff would not have made the said payments had it known that the NBA-ICLE was operating illegally and without statutory authority. Since the year 2007 the NBA-ICLE has collected substantial sums of money nationwide under the guise of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programmes. The said collections were made without lawful authority, regulatory licence or statutory backing.
“Nigerian lawyers have been subjected to sanctions, denial of practice privileges, and other disadvantages for alleged non-compliance with NBA-ICLE directives.
“The actions of the defendant (NBA), through the NBA-ICLE, constitute illegality, regulatory abuse, and unjust enrichment,” Amuga added, warning that unless restrained by the court, the NBA would continue to operate the institute and unlawfully collect funds from lawyers.
He concluded that granting the reliefs sought would serve the interests of justice, legality and the rule of law, stressing that the action was initiated in good faith and in the public interest.
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