UK, Nigerian lawyers discuss legal sector collaboration
Collaboration
By Sandra Umeh
Lagos, April 3, 2019 (NAN) Leading UK lawyers on Wednesday, engaged in a joint seminar with Nigerian business lawyers as part of efforts to drive collaboration between law firms and businesses in London and Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar was hosted by the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) and the UK Legal Services GREAT Trade Mission.
The theme of the seminar: was “Building UK and Nigeria Legal Sector Collaboration”.
Speaking on the collaboration with Nigeria, a UK delegate, Mr Jeremy Cape, said that the British Governemnt had embarked on launching its trade mission across the world.
He said that Nigeria had worked closely with the UK for many years, adding that it is necessary to sustain the relationship.
“This is the first one that I am in, and I am very excited to be here again, it is my seventh time in Nigeria.
“The legal sector in the UK and Nigeria has been working very closely for many decades, and obviously with Nigeria looking possibly to entering into the Continental Free Trade Area, and the UK, looking to leaving the EU, ” he said
According to Cape, the UK service is known as “Legal Services are GREAT” and is mostly concerned with affording legal services in Nigeria and across the world.
“We are looking forward to exporting legal services across the world, and we are also looking to work with Nigerian businesses in order to ensure that they can prosper in a rapidly changing world, in which some countries are looking to trade relationship with their neighbours.
“What I am hoping for is that i can work with many more legal firms in Nigeria to be able to help their clients to see opportunities to make more money,” he said
He noted that Nigeria had massive opportunities to be able to do more businesses across Africa, and for Nigerian consumers to be able to benefit from the many goods and services produced in the other 53 African countries.
According to Cape, it is very essential to get it right because if there is a skip in ensuring that the legal frame work is robust, then there may be trouble down the line.
Speaking on “The Future of Regional integration: Lessons from the EU for Prospective African Continental Free Trade Area
The Founder of the NBA-SBL, Mr George Etomi, said: “The discussion is on how we can extend legal services to other African countries, if Nigeria signs the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.”
He spoke on “The Future of Regional integration: Lessons from the EU for Prospective African Continental Free Trade Area”.
He said that Nigerian must realise its relative competitive strength lying in its manpower, adding that the nation possessed one of the most admirable manpower in Africa.
“It is actually in our interest to dictate the pace at which the integration takes place,” he said.
Etomi said that similar to the UK’s trade mission in Nigeria, Nigeria could begin to do the same for the rest of Africa to see how it could upgrade legal services across board.
“If you go into history, you find that Nigeria has produced some of the top legal officers in many African countries over the years; even in commercial law, many of our lawyers are giving advices across Africa.
“With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement in the bag, we can have a structure with which we can push out excellent Nigeria legal services to support other African countries,” he said
He said it is within this context that Nigerian lawyers sought understanding on how it had worked in areas where it had been done’ such as the EU.
The Chairman of the NBA-SBL, Mr Seni Adio (SAN)’ said that by its involvement in the collaboration, the SBL set out to enhance competency among lawyers, and to create opportunities to do businesses.
He said that the collaboration would afford lawyers the know-how to handle complex transactions and develop expertise in commercial law.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar’ which held at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, had in attendance about 25 UK delegates. (NAN)
UNS/OOA/IGO
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Edited by Olabisi Akinbode/Ijeoma Popoola