King Onunwor, Esq
The Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference (AGC) remains one of the most anticipated and prestigious gatherings of legal minds in Africa. Every year, thousands of lawyers converge in a chosen host city to reflect, learn, and engage with key issues affecting the legal profession and the nation. The 2025 edition held in Enugu was no exception in terms of intellectual rigour and organisational depth within the main venue, but it also exposed a pressing challenge the Association must address going forward, publicity.
Enugu, a historic city with immense cultural and legal heritage, was poised to showcase the best of the legal profession. The city offered the perfect blend of tradition and modernity, hospitality and serenity.
The choice of Michael Okpara Square as the central venue was commendable, offering ample space and logistical access. But for many, especially first-time visitors and even some residents of Enugu, the conference almost passed unnoticed largely due to the absence of visible and effective branding and directional signage across the city.
It is impossible to discuss the 2025 AGC without commending the strides made by the Maxi Afam Osigwe SAN-led NBA administration in ensuring timely preparations. For the first time in years, registration for the conference opened early enough to allow participants to plan and pay at reduced early bird rates.
This initiative greatly encouraged more lawyers, especially young lawyers and those from less-funded branches, to register early and secure their attendance.
Equally notable was the unprecedented move to distribute conference materials to branches ahead of the conference. This initiative showed a clear understanding of the logistical challenges often faced at registration centres and demonstrated the administration’s commitment to efficiency and transparency. Many lawyers received their conference bags and tags days before they even travelled to Enugu a rarity in previous editions. It helped decongest the venue and allowed for a smoother experience for attendees.
However, as commendable as the internal logistics and early preparations were, the overall publicity of the conference within the host city fell short of expectations. Publicity, as a strategic element of event planning, goes beyond digital flyers and social media hashtags. It involves engaging the environment, informing the public, creating awareness, and placing the event visibly in the consciousness of both members and non-members of the Bar.
Walking through major streets in Enugu such as Zik Avenue, Ogui Road, or even around the airport and the venue axis, one would be hard-pressed to identify any signage, flex banner, or branded billboard indicating that a national conference of such magnitude was taking place. For a city that hosted thousands of visitors, including prominent jurists, government officials, and international observers, this lack of branding was a missed opportunity.
Publicity is not merely about aesthetics or marketing buzz it is about creating an atmosphere of inclusion and significance. When a national body like the NBA converges on a city, it ought to reflect in the city’s outlook. Hotels, taxi parks, airports, and public centres should carry the NBA brand, welcoming delegates and informing the public. Sadly, this did not happen at the level expected in Enugu.
Moreover, the absence of strategic directional signage led to logistical inconveniences for delegates unfamiliar with the city. Some had to rely solely on GPS and local directions to find their way around. This is not ideal for a professionally organized event and could have been resolved with minimal investment in branded flex banners, directional posts, and road markings.
In years past, the visibility of the NBA AGC was felt across cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. In those editions, the conference practically took over the host city. From airport arrival halls to commercial centres, the presence of the NBA was both imposing and proud. That tradition seemed to have been neglected in Enugu.
Social media engagement was also not at its peak. While there were official updates and occasional live feeds, the vibrancy and real-time digital engagement that characterised previous conferences seemed to have dwindled. Engaging content, live tweets, interactive polls, behind-the-scenes clips, and community feedback were largely missing. For an Association with over 100,000 members and a significant number of young, tech-savvy lawyers, this was a gap that needs urgent attention.
Additionally, local residents of Enugu seemed largely unaware of the conference. Taxi drivers, hotel staff, and even shop owners around the venue had little to no knowledge of what the NBA was doing in town. That disconnect between the NBA and the host community reduces the overall impact of the event and undermines the relationship-building opportunity that should come with hosting a national event.
It is important to stress that the AGC is not only a conference of lawyers but also a civic event that should integrate with the local economy and people. The benefits of such events include increased patronage of local businesses, improved tourism, and heightened civic pride. Publicity plays a vital role in facilitating this integration.
What is needed going forward is a multi-layered publicity strategy that begins at least two months before the conference. This strategy should involve outdoor branding across key points in the city, partnerships with local media stations for jingles and talk shows, deployment of branded buses, and community sensitisation activities.
The NBA should consider setting up a dedicated Publicity Subcommittee for future AGCs distinct from the main planning committee with the sole task of coordinating visibility across traditional and digital platforms. This committee should work with local advertising agencies familiar with the host city’s terrain to ensure proper placement of banners and signs.
Equally, social media campaigns should be professionalised. Hiring digital content creators, media influencers within the legal space, and creative agencies could greatly increase online traction and engagement. Short videos, podcasts, lawyer features, and countdown graphics should become staples in the weeks leading to the AGC.
Another key area is branding at entry points. Airports, rail stations, motor parks, and hotels should be decorated with welcoming banners and standees. This not only helps in direction but also sets the tone for professionalism and hospitality.
Local branches of the NBA, especially in the host zone, should be mobilized early to assist with publicity and logistics. Their local knowledge and networks can significantly improve outreach and ensure better integration with the host environment.
Partnerships with telecom companies, banks, and legal-tech firms could also help boost visibility. These corporate sponsors often come with large marketing budgets and platforms that can amplify NBA’s messages beyond traditional legal circles.
It is also time for the NBA to invest in branded conference mobile apps that guide participants on navigation, programme schedules, and networking opportunities. Such apps could include live maps of the venue and nearby landmarks reducing confusion and enhancing engagement.
On the positive side, the tempo set by the current administration on early bird registration and pre-conference material distribution should not only be applauded but also institutionalized. These innovations reduced logistical stress and enhanced the professional experience of the conference.
Participants could travel lighter, avoid long queues, and settle into conference activities almost immediately. This model should be maintained and improved upon for the 2026 AGC and beyond.
The legal profession thrives on order, foresight, and attention to detail. The AGC, as its flagship event, must reflect these values in all aspects, from content delivery to environmental branding and public engagement.
As part of the strategic communication plan, it is crucial that future editions of the conference receive substantial coverage in major national print and electronic media. Events of such scale should not go unnoticed by the general public. Media houses such as Channels Television, Arise News, NTA and the major local tabloids of the host state should be considered alongside some selected national dailies to be actively involved in reporting proceedings, delivering live interviews, and covering keynote speeches.
In the alternative, or as a complementary step, the NBA must consider hosting a world-class media briefing prior to or during the conference, inviting the country’s top editors, legal correspondents, and even international media houses. Such a move would elevate the event to the status it deserves and expand its influence beyond the legal profession.
Visibility in mainstream media would not only reinforce the public image of the NBA but would also help in projecting its policy positions, reforms, and advocacy work to a wider audience. The AGC must become a subject of national interest, not just an internal event within the Bar.
The NBA must now begin to think of the AGC as a legal and national event that informs the public, influences policymakers, and shapes narratives. That cannot be achieved if its presence is limited to the walls of the venue and the pages of programme booklets.
To maintain relevance and prestige, the Bar must act deliberately in occupying space physical, media, digital, and civic. And this must be done with intentionality, consistency, and professionalism.
The Association has taken commendable first steps under the leadership of Maxi Afam Osigwe SAN, and the 2025 AGC proved that the NBA can be proactive and member-focused. What remains is to balance this internal excellence with external visibility.
As we look ahead to the 2026 edition of the conference, the NBA has an opportunity to refine its approach, build on the strengths of the current leadership, and correct the missteps observed in Enugu. This includes turning publicity into a strategic pillar rather than an afterthought.
The AGC should be a city-wide celebration, an immersive experience that announces the presence of Nigeria’s legal giants and inspires the public. With proper planning and intentional investment in visibility, the NBA can elevate the stature of its flagship event to rival any professional conference on the continent.
In doing so, the Association not only serves its members better but also strengthens its public image and reaffirms its relevance in the nation’s civic and democratic life.
Enugu has given us important lessons, and now the road to AGC 2026 must be.
All these and more in place, the Theme Stand Out, Stand Tall will be apt.
Onunwor, a Chief Corespondent with The Tide Newspaper,
Wrote from Michael Okpara Square, Enugu state, the Venue of the NBA Conference, 2025.
