The Federal Government has reversed its stance on granting practicing rights to UK lawyers in Nigeria, following public outcry over the recently signed Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership with the United Kingdom.
This reversal comes after widespread criticism from Nigerians regarding the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked with the UK.
Nigerian Minister for Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, issued a statement on her X handle retracting the earlier announcement, clarifying that no such legal agreement exists between Nigeria and the UK.
Uzoka-Anite stated, “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.”
She emphasized that Nigeria has no Mutual Recognition Agreement with the UK and has made no commitment, under the MoU or elsewhere, to permit UK-licensed lawyers to practice in Nigeria.
“As it currently stands, foreign licensed lawyers (including those licensed in the UK) cannot practice in Nigeria, as categorically stated in the MoU. We recognize that cross-jurisdictional practice between Nigeria and the United Kingdom is still an ongoing conversation amongst relevant stakeholders within the legal practitioners community in Nigeria, and this was reflected in the MoU,” she added.
Previously, statements from the UK’s Department of Business and Trade, along with a tweet from Nigeria’s Minister of Trade and Investment, had indicated that Nigeria was entering into a deal to facilitate UK lawyers practicing international law in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Bar Association condemned the purported agreement, labeling the minister’s statement as “ridiculous, unpatriotic, and uninformed.”
