By Els William
Former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has raised alarm over the state of the legal profession in Nigeria, warning that it is collapsing under the weight of corruption, ethical violations, and outdated practices.
Speaking at the 2025 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, Osinbajo said: “The legal profession is crumbling under the weight of corruption, ethical violations, and poor standards. 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.”
Osinbajo stressed the urgent need for reform in the profession as technology and globalisation reshape how legal services are delivered. “The pace of technological advancement today, the rise of globalisation, the democratisation of information has already transformed every profession. Yet in the legal profession, we remain bound by precedents and traditions, and some bad habits have remained stubbornly resistant to change,” he said.
He warned that artificial intelligence is already performing tasks faster and more accurately than human lawyers, saying: “Technology is fast replacing basic legal analysis and opinion writing. A big part of our cake has been bitten off by technology, and more will be bitten off very soon and very quickly.”
He added: “AI systems will increasingly take over legal tasks. The true value of human lawyers will lie in what machines cannot replicate — ethical reasoning, client interest, and interpretation skills.”
Osinbajo called for a reformed legal curriculum integrating AI and cross-disciplinary training in data science, privacy, and legal technology.
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, who opened the plenary, acknowledged the role of the judiciary in his emergence as governor. “Each time the master of ceremonies says ‘miracle governor,’ the miracle didn’t come from heaven. It came through you — lawyers and judges,” he said.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the rule of law, stating, “If the judiciary fails, we will all fail.”
NBA Yenagoa Branch Chairman, Mr. Somina Johnbull, in his welcome address, thanked the dignitaries and said the week’s events would help raise professional standards in the legal field.