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The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a clarification retracting an earlier statement concerning the legal framework of the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership agreement signed with the United Kingdom. This correction comes in the wake of significant public backlash over what was perceived as an uneven Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) favoring the UK.
Trade and Investment Minister Doris Uzoka-Anite took to social media platform X to amend her previous statement, emphasizing that the MoU signed does not permit UK-licensed lawyers to practice in Nigeria, contrary to initial reports. “We wish to state emphatically that there is no such provision or agreement in the MoU,” Uzoka-Anite clarified, addressing concerns raised by various stakeholders, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The misunderstanding arose after a statement by the UK’s Department of Business and Trade, coupled with a tweet from Nigeria’s Minister of Trade and Investment, suggested that the agreement would facilitate UK lawyers’ practice of international law within Nigeria. This claim was swiftly met with condemnation from the NBA, which labeled the minister’s comment as “ridiculous, unpatriotic, and uninformed.”
In her clarification, Uzoka-Anite also highlighted that there is no Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between Nigeria and the UK that would allow for such legal practice. “As it currently stands, foreign licensed lawyers (including those licensed in the UK) cannot practise in Nigeria,” she stated, confirming the status quo remains unchanged. The minister acknowledged that discussions about cross-jurisdictional practice are ongoing within Nigeria’s legal community, a process that the MoU accurately reflects.
