NBA and UNICEF Launch Strategic Partnership to Expand Pro Bono Legal Services for Children Across Nigeria

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and UNICEF have launched a landmark partnership aimed at expanding access to pro bono legal services for vulnerable children across Nigeria, reaffirming their shared commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of circumstance or background, has access to justice, protection, and effective legal representation.

The launch, which took place at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, attracted key actors in Nigeria’s justice and child protection sectors. The event was attended by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represented by a senior official from the Federal Ministry of Justice, as well as representatives of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, the Nigerian Law School, the Nigerian Correctional Service, the National Judicial Institute (NJI), UNICEF, development partners, civil society organisations, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, and other critical stakeholders committed to advancing child justice in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the initiative as “more than the beginning of a partnership,” but “a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to ensuring that every child in Nigeria, regardless of circumstance or background, can access justice, protection, and effective legal representation.”

He noted that although Nigeria has made significant progress through the Child Rights Act and other child protection frameworks, countless children continue to face enormous barriers in accessing justice, particularly victims of abuse, trafficking, exploitation, harmful traditional practices, child marriage, neglect, violence, and children in conflict with the law.

According to him, denying vulnerable children access to legal representation represents a collective failure of society and the legal profession.

“As legal practitioners, we are not merely interpreters of the law; we are guardians of justice and defenders of the rights of the most vulnerable. The legal profession carries both a privilege and a responsibility to ensure that those who cannot afford legal services are not excluded from the protection that the law provides.”

Mazi Osigwe observed that the partnership seeks to translate that responsibility into concrete action by mobilising lawyers across the country to provide quality pro bono legal representation for children, strengthening referral pathways between justice and child protection actors, enhancing the capacity of legal practitioners to handle child-sensitive cases, and promoting a justice system that places the best interests of the child at its centre.

He further stated that the initiative aligns with the NBA’s longstanding commitment to public-interest law and contributes to Nigeria’s efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to access to justice, strong institutions, and the protection of children.

The NBA President commended UNICEF for its sustained commitment to strengthening child protection systems in Nigeria, recalling that discussions held during the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference highlighted the urgent need to improve access to justice for children and laid the foundation for the present collaboration.

He also acknowledged the indispensable roles of government institutions, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, legal aid providers, and community-based organisations, stressing that protecting children requires coordinated action from all stakeholders.

In a passionate appeal to members of the legal profession, Mazi Osigwe called on every NBA Branch, law firm, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and young lawyer to embrace pro bono legal services for vulnerable children as a defining professional responsibility.

“When a child survivor of abuse requires legal representation, let there be a lawyer ready to stand by that child. When a child is unlawfully detained or denied due process, let there be a lawyer ready to defend that child’s rights. When a child is subjected to trafficking, forced marriage, exploitation, neglect, or any form of violence, let a lawyer be willing to act.”

He emphasised that pro bono legal service is not an act of charity but an act of justice, adding that the true measure of the legal profession lies not only in commercial transactions or dispute resolution but also in its willingness to protect society’s most vulnerable members and strengthen public confidence in the rule of law.

To institutionalise the initiative, the NBA President challenged every NBA Branch to establish or strengthen child-focused pro bono schemes, encouraged law firms to dedicate professional time to child protection matters, urged Senior Advocates of Nigeria to mentor younger lawyers in child-sensitive legal practice, and called on young lawyers to make pro bono service a defining feature of their professional identity.

Reaffirming the NBA’s commitment, he assured stakeholders that the Association would provide the leadership, coordination, and institutional structures required to mobilise lawyers nationwide, strengthen professional capacity, facilitate referrals, and expand access to quality legal representation for children.

Looking ahead, Mazi Osigwe expressed optimism that the partnership would become a defining moment in Nigeria’s child justice system.

“Years from now, when the story of child justice reform in Nigeria is written, let it be said that the Nigerian legal profession answered the call. Let it be said that when vulnerable children needed champions, members of the Nigerian Bar Association stood up, stepped forward, and made justice accessible to those with nowhere else to turn.”

He concluded by urging lawyers across Nigeria to embrace pro bono service for children not merely as a professional obligation but as a moral imperative, stressing that every child deserves a voice, protection, and equal access to justice regardless of poverty, disability, geography, or social circumstance.

The NBA-UNICEF partnership is expected to significantly strengthen child-sensitive legal services across Nigeria by mobilising legal practitioners, enhancing collaboration among justice sector stakeholders, and ensuring that vulnerable children receive the legal support necessary to safeguard their rights and secure their future.