Ikeja NBA Branch Challenges Hiked AGC Rates, Warns Of Boycott

The Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, popularly known as the ‘Tiger Bar,’ has demanded that the Annual General Conference Planning Committee reverse the approved registration fees for the 2024 conference to the 2023 rates or face a full boycott from the branch.

During its monthly general meeting held on 5th May 2024, the branch unanimously condemned the “exorbitant” fees approved by the NBA National Executive Council for the upcoming Annual General Conference scheduled to take place in Lagos State in August.

The approved fees for the 2024 AGC range from N50,000 for an early bird registration for young lawyers (1-9 years post-call) to a staggering N750,000 for on-site registration for Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Attorneys General, and Benchers. This represents a significant increase from the 2023 rates, which ranged from N15,000 to N600,000 for the same categories.

In a strongly-worded resolution, the Tiger Bar, known for its fiery disposition, described the skyrocketed increase in registration fees as “unfair” and called for an immediate reversal to the previous year’s rates.

Failure to comply with this demand, the branch warned, would result in a complete boycott of the conference by its members.

The Tiger Bar’s resolution comes amidst growing concerns within the legal community about the rising cost of attending the NBA’s flagship event, which is seen as a crucial platform for professional development, networking, and deliberations on critical issues affecting the legal profession and the nation.