Stakeholders for legal profession don urge young lawyers to acquire skills wey go beyond traditional legal practice, stressing say success for today economy require competence for technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and financial literacy.
The message come during summit wey dem title “The Next Brief: From Regulation to Opportunity – Positioning Young Lawyers for Financial Inclusion and Economic Participation,” organised by Citizens Initiatives for Rights and Empowerment (CITIZINRE) for Abuja.
Summit bring together legal practitioners, regulators, financial experts, policymakers and young professionals to explore pathways for financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and economic participation within legal profession.
Delivering keynote address, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeboro Adamson, challenge young lawyers to see themselves as active participants for economic development rather than mere advisers. According to am, lawyers historically play central roles for creating value, structuring businesses, negotiating transactions and building institutions wey support economic growth.
“Every time a lawyer structures a transaction, negotiates a concession, or builds a governance framework, he or she is not merely assisting economic activity; that lawyer is creating economic value,” e yarn.
Adamson note say global economy dey evolve rapidly through technology, artificial intelligence, digital assets, venture capital and intellectual property, creating opportunities for lawyers wey ready to expand dem knowledge beyond conventional practice.
“The lawyer who understands business as well as law is better equipped than the one who understands law alone. The future belongs to the lawyer who is financially literate, technologically competent and conscious of his role in building institutions,” e add.
But e caution lawyers against compromising professional ethics for pursuit of economic opportunities, insisting say integrity and enterprise fit coexist. “The challenge is not whether lawyers should participate in economic activities. The challenge is whether they can do so responsibly while maintaining the trust and confidence that the profession demands,” e tok.
Speaking, Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, say obtaining law degree no be guarantee of financial freedom. “It is no longer news that obtaining a degree or possessing a certificate of any kind is not a gateway or automatic ticket to economic emancipation and financial freedom. It is, at best, a platform to navigate the complexities of life and build something meaningful,” e yarn.
Sulaiman, wey im Special Assistant on Media, Mohammad Abdulkadri represent am, observe say thousands of law graduates enter already saturated labour market every year, making am necessary for young lawyers to develop additional skills wey fit distinguish dem from dem peers.
“The difference between those who succeed and those who merely get by is the ability to build enduring skills that are valuable and can stand the test of time. Skills in leadership, entrepreneurship and management are critical,” e state.
NILDS DG also encourage young lawyers to take advantage of technology to enhance dem professional development, citing platforms like Law Pavilion as example of innovation wey dey transform legal practice. E disclose say institute don train more than 200 fresh law graduates through im legislative drafting internship programme for past four years to address shortage of skilled legislative drafters for country.
Director-General of Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), Hon. Rinsola Abiola, say legal profession dey increasingly expand into emerging sectors like financial technology, digital commerce, data protection, entrepreneurship and social innovation. She note say access to financial opportunities dey closely tied to legal structures and institutions, making lawyers key actors for promoting inclusive economic development.
“Young lawyers must position themselves at the intersection of law, technology, finance and development. They must develop the skills necessary to advise businesses, support entrepreneurship, contribute to policy development and ensure that innovation occurs within a framework that protects inclusion, fairness and accountability,” she yarn.
Abiola add say leadership no dey limited to occupying public office but include ability to create solutions, serve communities and drive positive change.
Zullaihat Muhammad Ohiare say discussions around welfare of young lawyers should extend beyond remuneration and professional fees to include conversations about wealth creation and economic participation. According to am, many young lawyers don dey conditioned to focus on limitations of profession rather than opportunities wey dey available within legal and economic ecosystem.
“We must ask a harder and more honest question: how else, within the legal frameworks of this profession, can a lawyer create wealth?” Ohiare argue say too many young lawyers remain uncertain about dem place for economy because dem teach dem wetin dem cannot do before showing dem possibilities wey dey available.
She express optimism say summit go help broaden perspectives and equip participants with knowledge wey dem need to navigate emerging opportunities while maintaining professional standards.
