The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has unveiled a digital stamp and seal for legal practitioners in the country.
The association said the virtual stamp would not only help to check activities of fake lawyers, but also ensure seamless preparation and filing of legal processes.
Outgoing NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, who unveiled the electronic stamp and seal on Monday, said it was in line with the vision of his administration to push for full digitisation of the legal system.
He noted that the association recently conducted an online-based election that allowed its members to participate from various parts of the country.
“That election has been adjudged to be free, fair and the most credible. What we did during the election is a template that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should copy.
“I invite INEC to come and understudy what we did to make the election seamless, with the electorates casting their ballot from the comfort of their homes,” he stated.
According to Maikyau, to a large extent, online-based election reduces the cost of conducting an election, hence the need for INEC to go in that direction.
He hailed the positive impact of technology in the conduct of affairs of the legal body,
“For the first time in the history of the association, the registration of lawyers for its forthcoming Annual General Conference, AGC, was effectively done electronically without awarding the contract to a third party.
“Registration for the 2024 AGC was done on the platform of the NBA. This is about pressing forward. It is a posture we must take in building our nation. By making our profession better, we are also moving the nation forward,” he stated.
Similarly, the General Secretary of NBA, Mr Adeshina Adegbite, said that the association on June 18, signed the contract that ensured the deployment of the virtual stamp and seal.
He maintained that lawyers could apply and get the stamp and seal within minutes.
Adegbite assured that necessary safeguards were put in place to guarantee the authenticity and protection of the system that would operate through block chain technology.
