Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has raised alarm over the state of Nigeria’s legal profession, warning that corruption, ethical violations, and resistance to innovation are threatening its survival.
Speaking on Friday at the 2025 Law Week Plenary Session of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, Osinbajo said the legal field is “crumbling under the weight of corruption,” citing widespread allegations of bribery involving both lawyers and judges.
“The perception that our system of justice is corrupt, and that both the Bar and Bench are culpable, is damaging enough,” he said during the event held at the Nigerian Content Tower in Bayelsa State.
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Addressing the session’s theme, “The Legal Profession: A Vision for a New Era,” Osinbajo emphasised the need for urgent reform to meet the demands of a changing world shaped by technology and global disruption.
“Our profession needs a new vision, a new set of tools in a new era, since technology is now doing things faster, more accurately, and without fatigue, unlike human lawyers,” he said.
Osinbajo noted that artificial intelligence (AI) and legal technology are taking over many basic legal tasks, including research, analysis, and opinion writing, pushing lawyers to redefine their value in the profession.
“Machines can already find the law and summarise it better, hence, lawyers must now focus on what AI cannot do – ethical judgment, client advocacy, and interpreting what ought to be done.”
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He also called for a comprehensive overhaul of legal education in Nigeria, recommending a new curriculum that includes artificial intelligence literacy, data science, and cross-disciplinary skills.
He highlighted the importance of understanding algorithm bias, data privacy, and the design of legal tech systems.
“The value of human lawyers must shift to higher-order thinking, ethical decision-making, and interpreting the law in the client’s best interest,” Osinbajo added.
