Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, has sworn in 68 legal practitioners as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) at the 2026/2027 Legal Year ceremony.
The swearing-in follows the approval of the 68 nominees by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) about three months ago.
The committee approved their elevation at its 174th plenary session, chaired by Kekere-Ekun.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola, the newly elevated SANs comprise 67 advocates and one academic, Professor Nnamdi Onyeka Obiaraeri, Tribune also reports.
Obiaraeri was recognised for his “contributions to legal scholarship, making him the only academic among the 68 recipients.”
The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is one of the highest professional distinctions in the country’s legal sector. It is conferred on legal practitioners who meet the required standards of professional achievement in advocacy or legal scholarship.
Before the conferment, the LPPC “stipulated that successful applicants must participate in and complete a mandatory induction programme, with the date to be announced later.”
The committee also reminded the newly elevated SANs to comply with paragraph 25(1) of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Guidelines and Rule 39(3) of the Rules of Professional Conduct, 2023.
It warned against “publishing or encouraging advertisements, congratulatory messages or goodwill notices concerning their nomination or conferment, adding that violations could attract sanctions.”
