The Nigerian Law Society has conferred the rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria on Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, and four other legal professionals.
The other recipients were Seyi Tinubu, Olufunmilayo Osifuye, Ihudiebube Chukwumdi and Alabi Adigun.
The Blue Silks rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria, introduced in 2025, is the equivalent of the Fellowship of the Nigerian Law Society.
It recognises lawyers who have distinguished themselves in specialised areas of legal practice outside courtroom litigation.
The conferment took place at the society’s 2026 Annual General Conference held in Utako, Abuja.
The conference was themed “Justice for All: Non-Litigation Nigerian Law Graduates Through the Blue Silks (SCN), BOSCON and the NLS”.
In his acceptance speech, delivered by his Special Adviser on Media and Executive Assistant, Mrs Lizzy Okoji, Fani-Kayode called for the protection of Nigerians’ rights and dignity, both at home and abroad.
He said access to justice should not depend on an individual’s social, economic or political status.
“Justice in its truest form must never be selective. It must not be reserved for the privileged, the powerful or the politically connected. It must be accessible to all,” he said.
Fani-Kayode said his diplomatic assignment in South Africa had strengthened his commitment to human rights, given the challenges facing some Nigerians in the country.
He recalled that his first official engagement after arriving in South Africa was a town hall meeting with members of the Nigerian community, where he listened to their concerns and assured them of the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad.
He added that the promotion of human rights required courage, compassion, sacrifice and commitment to truth.
The NLS President, Amb. Dahiru Aliyu, said the society was established to provide an organised platform for Nigerian law graduates whose professional activities were outside courtroom litigation.
He listed the areas of practice to include corporate administration, legal consultancy, arbitration, mediation, compliance, governance, legislative drafting and research.
Aliyu said the NLS was established alongside the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON) and obtained its certificate of registration on December 30, 2025.
He said the society’s establishment was in line with Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees freedom of association.
According to him, the Blue Silks initiative recognises professional excellence, dedication and contributions to the legal profession outside conventional courtroom practice.
He said it would also encourage younger law graduates to uphold professional ethics and pursue continuous professional development.
Aliyu said his administration would prioritise institutional consolidation, membership expansion, continuing professional education, financial accountability and stronger national and international partnerships.
He urged members to promote transparency, abide by the society’s constitution and resolve disagreements through dialogue and lawful dispute resolution mechanisms.
In her keynote address, the BOSCON Chairperson, Mrs Elizabeth Orebiyi, represented by Mrs Ndidi Okoro, said contributions to legal practice and development extended beyond courtroom litigation.
She identified universities, corporate organisations, legislative chambers, regulatory institutions and policy development as areas where law graduates could contribute to the profession outside litigation.
Orebiyi said the Blue Silks initiative recognised non-litigation legal professionals under four categories: Senior Legal Academic (SLA), Senior Corporate Counsel (SCC), Senior Legislative Counsel (SLC) and Senior Law Reform Counsel (SLRC).
She said the Senior Counsel designation should reflect experience, competence, integrity, intellectual leadership and service.
“A Senior Counsel should be a mentor, a custodian of professional values and an example to those who follow,” she said.
She urged young law graduates to develop expertise in emerging fields, including technology, artificial intelligence, commercial innovation, regulatory transformation, international transactions and alternative dispute resolution.
Also speaking, the Chairperson of the NLS Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee, Olufunmilayo Osifuye, said fairness and accountability should guide everyday relationships and interactions.
Osifuye, who chairs the committee responsible for hearing appeals on planning permits and building control in Lagos, said the NLS was not in competition with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
“We are not competitors to other arms of the legal profession, but complementary to their work because we serve the same goal,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Nation newspaper won the 2026 Best Legal and Judiciary Reporting Award at the conference.