By Najeebullah Lawan, Esq_
30th July, 2026
I still remember the excitement of the 8 July, 2026 that I was called to the largest Bar in Africa. The photographs. The congratulations. The quiet pride of finally becoming “Lawyer.” Many of us walked out of that ceremony hall believing the hardest part was over. What some of us did not fully realise was that a small but serious obligation started counting from that very day.
Rule 9 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023 is clear. Every lawyer must pay the “Bar Practicing Fee” not later than 31st March of each year. But for those of us enrolled in the course of the year, the rule is even stricter: the fee must be paid within one month of enrolment. That is not a suggestion. It is not a gentlemen’s agreement or reminder. It is the rule.
Yet, some of our colleagues are already appearing in court, signing pleadings, affidavits, and other documents without having paid.
Yesterday, I had a conversation with a female colleague from Law School, I asked her about whether or not she paid, she replied that a senior colleague at the Bar told her that she has a latitude of this year until next year September to pay her Bar Practicing Fee as a new wig. Mehn, this advice is wrong, and it is dangerous.
The rule does not create a grace period that stretches into the following year. It does not say new wigs are exempted. It simply says: if you were enrolled this year, pay within one month. After that period, a lawyer who has not paid is in default. And Rule 9 goes further. It forbids such a lawyer from claiming in any court that the fee has been paid, and it prohibits the signing or filing of any document in the capacity of a legal practitioner while still in default.
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This is not about collecting money for the Bar. It is about the integrity of the profession we just joined. When a newly called lawyer appears before a judge or files processes without having met this basic requirement, two things happen. First, the lawyer places himself or herself at personal risk. Second, the case at hand is quietly undermined.
Dear fellow new wigs, if you were called in July 2026, the one-month window is almost closed. If you have not paid, do so immediately. If a senior has told you that you can delay until next year, respectfully check the rule yourself. The advice may have been given in good faith, but it does not change what is written.
We spent years preparing for the call. We passed the examinations. We took the oath. Let us not start our careers by ignoring one of the first professional duties placed on us. Paying the practicing fee within the prescribed time is not optional. It is the difference between practising law and practising at risk.
New wigs, let us get this right from the beginning.
Najeebullah Lawan, Esq
Writes from Abuja, Nigeria and can be reached via: najeebullahlawan@gmail.com
