The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has reaffirmed its commitment to combating corruption as a core part of its mission to uphold the rule of law and drive national development.

In a statement on Thursday, Professor Babafemi Badejo, Chairman of the NBA National Anti-Corruption Committee, stressed that no meaningful human progress can be achieved without decisive action against corruption.

“Without concrete incremental efforts toward addressing corruption, meaningful human development and utmost freedom would remain elusive,” Badejo said.

He cited several legal provisions that underpin Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework, including:

·         Section 98(1) of the Criminal Code, which stipulates a seven-year jail term for public officers convicted of corruption.

·         Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the state to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.

·         Section 23, which outlines national ethics such as integrity, discipline, and social justice.

Badejo noted that the NBA, under the leadership of Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, is committed to leading by example by institutionalizing anti-corruption practices within its own structure.

As part of this initiative, the NBA’s National Executive Council (NEC) has approved the establishment of Anti-Corruption Committees across all 130 branches of the association.

“These committees will operate in synergy with the national body to promote transparency and integrity at the grassroots level within the legal profession and the wider society,” he said.

The NBA aims to use these grassroots structures to influence not just the legal profession but also public and private institutions through advocacy, accountability mechanisms, and professional conduct enforcement.

Badejo urged the public to support the NBA’s anti-graft initiatives, pledging that the association would remain a model of integrity and accountability in Nigeria’s broader campaign against corruption.