In a significant move to strengthen the fight against corruption in Nigeria, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Monday announced plans to establish anti-corruption committees across all 130 of its branches nationwide.

The Chairman of the NBA National Anti-Corruption Committee, Prof. Babafemi Badejo, disclosed the development in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to Badejo, the decision was ratified during a recent meeting of the NBA National Executive Committee held in Ilorin, where members passed a motion mandating every branch to create an anti-corruption committee.

“An anti-corruption committee shall be established in all NBA branches to address corruption-related issues within their jurisdictions,” Badejo stated.

He explained that the committees will work collaboratively with local stakeholders—including law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and community-based organizations—to combat corruption at the grassroots level.

The branch committees will also coordinate closely with the national anti-corruption body to ensure a unified approach to eradicating corruption within the legal profession and beyond.

“They shall collaborate with the NBA National Anti-Corruption Committee towards a robust NBA-coordinated abhorrence of corruption,” Badejo said.

He emphasized that the national body, which was established earlier this year under the leadership of Mr. Afam Osigwe, SAN, will oversee and support the activities of the branch committees, ensuring strategic alignment and national consistency.

The NBA, Badejo said, intends to empower each branch to design tailored anti-corruption initiatives that suit their local contexts, while reinforcing the association’s broader mission to uphold accountability and the rule of law.

“With the freedom of each branch and national coordination mechanism in articulating what can be done to curb corruption, the NBA will be delivering a clear message that corruption is not a normal way of life,” he said.

“The NBA is boldly engaging in its expected role as the bastion of accountability and the rule of law. A proactive NBA on anti-corruption is not just a professional necessity, but a national imperative.”

He added that this renewed focus on anti-corruption efforts reflects the NBA’s commitment to its core values and its role in promoting good governance and justice in Nigeria.