“The legal profession in Nigeria is crumbling under the weight of corruption, ethical violations, and poor standings. citing widespread allegations of bribery involving both lawyers and judges, stories of counsel acting as conduits for bribing judicial officers are rife.”
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has raised alarm over the state of Nigeria’s legal profession, warning that corruption, ethical violations, and resistance to innovation are threatening its survival.
While speaking at the 2025 Law Week Plenary Session of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, Osinbajo said the legal field is “crumbling under the weight of corruption,” citing widespread allegations of bribery involving both lawyers and judges.
He said: “The legal profession is crumbling under the weight of corruption, ethical violations, and poor standings. Stories of counsel acting as conduits for bribing judicial officers are rife. The perception that our system of justice is corrupt and that both the bar and bench are culpable is damaging enough.”
Addressing the sub-theme, “The Legal Profession: A Vision for a New Era,” Osinbajo noted that the legal field is navigating an era shaped by unprecedented technological advances and societal turbulence, demanding urgent reforms and visionary leadership within the profession.
He stated: “The pace of technological advancement today, the rise of globalisation, the democratisation of information has already transformed every profession. Yet the legal profession, we are bound by precedents and traditions and some bad habits have remained stubbornly resistant to change.
“Our profession needs a new vision, a new set of tools in a new era, and that is so whether we like it or not. We are in a vastly different era, where the tools we use today were designed will not work.”
