President, Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau,SAN, has faulted a deal by the Federal Government plan to allow United Kingdom lawyers to practise in Nigeria.

The NBA president made this known in an email to members of the association on Tuesday titled, “The purported ETIP agreement on legal services between the government of Nigeria and the United Kingdom.”

The signed agreement between Nigeria and U.K. involves the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership which would boost trade, investments and eliminate barriers in the legal services and allow British lawyers to practise in Nigeria and vice versa.

According to the UK government, the agreement “will create opportunities across a breadth of sectors crucial to both economies.’’

However, despite the ETIP deal being the first the UK signed with an African country, Mr Maikyau noted that it was disheartening such a decision that adversely affects the wellbeing and livelihood of millions of Nigerians was taken without consulting the association.

He said information of the deal between the two countries was brought to his notice by the “news making rounds on a number of media platforms on the alleged signing of the Enhanced Trade Investment Partnership Agreement, between the governments of Nigeria and the United Kingdom.”

The NBA president also expressed disappointment at the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, who in a reaction to the news, described it as a ‘ground-breaking agreement’ that will translate to ‘more money’ for Nigeria.’’

Mr Maikyau said that he found the statement “ridiculous, unpatriotic, and uninformed.’’

He noted, “For the avoidance of doubt, the NBA had no foreknowledge or inclination of the text of the said agreement. We could not therefore have contributed to it. I have since assuming office as president of the NBA clearly opposed any agreement that will compromise our legal space. At all the meetings I had with officials of the Law Society of England & Wales and the Bar Council of England & Wales, I never failed to note our opposition to a bilateral agreement between the Government of Nigeria and that of the United Kingdom on legal services.’’

The NBA president added that though there could be an agreement or discussion on other trade matters, legal services were not on the table because Nigeria is not ready for such agreements.

He stated that even if they are to enjoy reciprocity with the UK (which is not an acceptable position), the knowledge and skills gap is so wide that they cannot favourably compete with the lawyers from the UK.

He added, “We know for certain that the British Government will not undermine its own body of legal professionals in such spectacular fashion as this administration has done to the NBA in the matter of this agreement. It is truly tragic that while the government of the UK is seeking opportunities for its own lawyers beyond its constrained environment, the government of Nigeria is attempting to deprive Nigerian lawyers and their millions of dependants of a means of livelihood”.

Mr Maikyau further noted that the ETIP agreement, relating to legal services, was unacceptable in its entirety, adding that the NBA would take necessary measures provided by the country’s laws in support of the association’s position on the matter.

He also called on members of the association to brace up for the struggle ahead, saying “the NBA under my leadership will not allow any incursion into our legal space.”