Trade minister backtracks, says UK lawyers can’t practice in Nigeria

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, on Wednesday, reversed her earlier statement indicating that United Kingdom (UK) lawyers are allowed to practice in Nigeria. Uzoka-Anite, had in a statement highlighted that UK-trained lawyers could practice in Nigeria following an Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership signed by Nigeria and the UK on Tuesday. […]

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, on Wednesday, reversed her earlier statement indicating that United Kingdom (UK) lawyers are allowed to practice in Nigeria.

Uzoka-Anite, had in a statement highlighted that UK-trained lawyers could practice in Nigeria following an Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership signed by Nigeria and the UK on Tuesday.

But following criticism and outrage, particularly by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Uzoka-Anite withdrew her statement.

Uzoka-Anite, in a series of posts on her X account, said: “Earlier today, Nigeria signed a far-reaching MoU with the United Kingdom for Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership.

“Regrettably, our earlier report erroneously suggested that Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding that allows lawyers licensed in the United Kingdom to practice in Nigeria. We wish to state emphatically that there is no such provision or agreement in the MoU.”

The minister explained that Nigeria did not have a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the UK and made no commitment under the MoU or elsewhere to allow UK-licensed lawyers to practice in Nigeria.

She added: “As it currently stands, foreign licensed lawyers (including those licenced in the UK) cannot practice in Nigeria as categorically stated in the MoU.

“We recognise that cross-jurisdictional practice between Nigeria and the United Kingdom is still an ongoing conversation among relevant stakeholders within the legal practitioners’ community in Nigeria, and this was reflected in the MoU.”

NBA’s President, Yakubu Maikyau, had on Tuesday in a statement condemned the purported agreement and described the statement credited to the minister as “ridiculous, unpatriotic and uninformed”.