Some participants at the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt have faulted the organisation, welfare arrangements and venue comfort, saying the event fell short of last year’s conference in Enugu.
The conference, themed “Beyond Limits”, is in its final days amid complaints about declining intellectual quality in some sessions.
—“Lacklustre and Deeply Disappointing”—
In an interim assessment, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, described the conference as “lacklustre, uninspiring and, in several respects, deeply disappointing.”
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He praised the 2025 Enugu conference for its organisation, traffic management and hospitality, noting that positive reviews from that edition drew a large turnout to Port Harcourt, especially among younger lawyers.
Ubani also criticised the quality of conference materials, particularly the conference bag, saying it did not reflect “the dignity, class and intellectual character” expected of Africa’s largest gathering of lawyers.
He further questioned the selection of some invited personalities, arguing that popularity and social media visibility should not override intellectual pedigree, professional accomplishment and scholarship.
“Entertainment has its place, but it must never replace intellectual substance,” he said.
—Feeding and Venue Concerns—
Other participants raised concerns over welfare and feeding. A video circulating among lawyers showed attendees struggling to access meals at a food distribution point, sparking reactions online. The video, however, did not establish that meals were generally unavailable.
The NBA had earlier announced that registered physical attendees were entitled to lunch on each of the three conference days, with digital meal tickets introduced for access to food stations.
Ubani said lunch arrangements were not sufficiently centralised, tea-break venues were poorly organised, and some halls used in the first two days were hot and unsuitable for serious engagement.
“These may appear to be minor details to some people, but they are not,” he said. “A participant contending with heat, hunger and congestion cannot fully concentrate on proceedings.”
—Call for Better Infrastructure—
The experience has also revived concerns about Nigeria’s inadequate convention infrastructure.
Ubani noted that with over 18,000 lawyers registered as of April, the NBA’s annual conference should not continue to rely on facilities not designed for gatherings of that magnitude.
He called for investment in purpose-built convention centres that can accommodate at least 25,000 people, with adequate halls, air-conditioning, parking, security, sanitation, exhibition spaces, restaurants, reliable electricity and transportation.
“Prioritise Substance Over Spectacle”
Describing his assessment as interim, Ubani said the remaining days could still redeem the conference. He urged the NBA to improve planning, strengthen logistics and be more deliberate in guest selection.
“We must plan better. We must organise better. We must select our guests with greater care. We must prioritise intellectual substance over unnecessary spectacle,” he said.
