02/12/2025
NBA-SPIDEL 2025 Conference: Reaffirming That Public Interest Is Human Rights — And Human Rights Is Public Interest
By:
JUDAH A. UGWERU, ESQ.
1st December, 2025.
As the 2025 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) commences with the inspiring theme “The Banner Without Stains,” it is once again evident why this Section is rightly regarded as the conscience of the Nigerian Bar Association. NBA-SPIDEL occupies a unique place within the legal profession: it is the heartbeat of public interest advocacy, the guardian of constitutional governance, and the defender of the voiceless.
At a time when our nation is confronted with serious socio-economic challenges, persistent insecurity, and widespread governance concerns, the renewed call to safeguard public interest could not be more urgent or more sacred.
Public Interest Is Human Rights — Human Rights Is Public Interest
Too often, public interest is mistakenly described as a broad, abstract concept. In reality, public interest is the daily, practical expression of human rights. It is the right of every Nigerian to security, dignity, good governance, fair hearing, social justice, and economic opportunity. When these rights are advanced, protected, or expanded, the public interest is automatically served.
Thus, public interest litigation is not merely a legal mechanism; it is a constitutional calling. It embodies the defence of human rights in its purest form. Every intervention — from challenging unlawful detentions, to ensuring free and fair elections, to holding government accountable — is a reaffirmation that the wellbeing of society cannot be separated from the rights of its citizens.
The public interest lawyer stands at this intersection where constitutionalism meets humanity, and where legal advocacy becomes a tool for national healing.
Doing God’s Work Through Public Interest
Former Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, captured this sacred responsibility in a timeless statement. He said that “those who pursue public interest are doing God’s work — and they will make heaven.”
This is not a mere metaphor. Public interest work demands courage, sacrifice, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to justice — qualities that reflect divine principles. Standing up for the oppressed, challenging the misuse of power, defending democratic values, and insisting on accountability are all acts that elevate both the nation and the soul.
The lawyer who commits to public interest becomes more than an advocate; he or she becomes a steward of societal conscience. NBA-SPIDEL provides the platform, guidance, and institutional courage for this sacred mission.
The Banner Without Stains
This year’s conference theme is a solemn reminder that public interest work must be pursued with purity of purpose. A “banner without stains” speaks to:
• Integrity in advocacy
• Fearless engagement with power
• A refusal to compromise justice
• Consistency in defending the common good
• A commitment to nation-building through law and principle
As participants gather in Uyo for deliberations, reflections, and policy direction, the nation watches with hope. Nigeria urgently needs the voice and intervention of SPIDEL — a voice grounded in truth, justice, and unwavering fidelity to human rights.
Conclusion: A Call to Renew Our Commitment
Human rights remain the soul of the legal profession. Public interest is the highest manifestation of that soul. As the 2025 NBA-SPIDEL Conference unfolds, may it inspire every lawyer to lift high the banner of justice — unstained, unsoiled, and unwavering.
For in serving the public interest, we serve humanity.
In defending humanity, we defend God’s purpose.
And in fulfilling God’s purpose, as Dr. Ubani has said, we shall make heaven.
JUDAH A. UGWERU, ESQ.,
Legal Practitioner, Writer, Public Commentator and Advocate for Constitutional Democracy and Good Governance,
May be reached via,
Phone nos, Call.;- 08032770374, 09156009974
Whatsapp:- 09160373613, 07083681160
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