The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) unveils a transformative digital era with a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure, featuring a dynamic website, self-service membership portal, mobile app, dedicated blog, and a robust data policy. The newly launched website has drawn over 20,000 users in two months, boasting a modern design and user-friendly interface. The membership portal streamlines transactions, particularly Bar Practicing Fees, urging swift onboarding. The NBA’s digital app enhances accessibility, available on both iOS and Playstore. The dedicated blog serves as a primary information source and a platform for member-generated content. Engaging a licensed Data Protection Compliance Officer underscores a commitment to data policy compliance.
Distinguished Learned Silks, Benchers and Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce to you that the Nigerian Bar Association now has very robust information technology (IT) infrastructure that is advanced, highly efficient and user friendly. The Association’s newly developed IT infrastructure is comprehensive as it includes the New Website, the Membership Portal and the Mobile App.
THE NEW WEBSITE:
The newly commissioned NBA website represents a significant leap forward in our online presence, boasting several key features. It is modern and flexible in design and this makes it seamless and user-friendly. The website is very responsive as users can easily access content from devices of all sizes. The “Find a Lawyer” directory has been revamped on the website and is now popularly being exploited by colleagues to recover lost Supreme Court Enrolment Number (SCN) and enabling clients and members of the public to conduct due diligence on lawyers.
I am happy to report that within two months of going live, the website has attracted over 20,000 new users. To access the website, please visit – www.nigerianbar.org.ng
MEMBERSHIP PORTAL:
The newly developed membership portal is a self-service portal that enables every lawyer to create and own a profile on the portal. Members can now update their personal and professional information with ease, including their contact details and areas of expertise/practice. It is strongly advised that every member of the Association should onboard on the portal without delay. This is particularly important because only a lawyer who has a profile on the portal can transact on the new website or the New NBA App. As it is already the practice, Bar Practicing Fees are only payable online. It is therefore important for all members to know that they must have an existing profile on the portal before they can access the BPF payment portal or make any other payment whatsoever. Therefore, all members are enjoined to immediately onboard by creating a unique profile on the portal to avoid any difficulty in the BPF payment process. As the new year (2024) is fast approaching, the rush to pay BPF will only be aided by being compliant on the NBA portal. The payment portal is designed to generate receipt immediately upon payment for BPF. The receipts are automatically generated by the portal and also sent to the registered email address. Group BPF payments have also been streamlined making it easier for members to make BPF payments on behalf of their colleagues or law firms/organisations making group payments for their staff members. Payment of BPF backlog is also now permissible through the portal. Members can track all their payments and access receipts for BPF and other transactions like stamps, car sticker payments etc, through the portal. Members can also enjoy the benefit of being able to verify their identity by using their NIN/VNIN to create and get issued a unique NBA ID upon successfully completing the process.
Lastly, it must be emphasized that the portal is built with latest technologies and frameworks and it ensures fast, secure, and reliable data exchange and seamless financial transactions. To access the membership portal, please visit – https://portal.nigerianbar.org.ng/
NEW NBA DIGITAL APP:
We have developed a new digital mobile application that caters for both iOS and Android users. This application will provide lawyers with convenient access to all the features available on the NBA portal, enhancing accessibility and usability. The App is now live on both iOS and Playstore for free download. You are enjoined to visit these mobile platforms to download the app.
NEW NBA BLOG:
The NBA has established a new avenue for sharing NBA news and information, reducing our reliance solely on email broadcasts and social media platforms. We now disseminate all NBA-related content through our dedicated blog, which not only serves as a primary information source, but also reinforces the authenticity of NBA news and publications across social media and mainstream news outlets. The ultimate objective is for the blog to serve as a platform for members to publish their articles, white papers, and other content. The platform will also offer advert opportunities through sponsored ads, thereby, potentially serving as an additional revenue generating source for the association. To access the NBA Blog, please visit – https://blog.nigerianbar.org.ng/frequently-asked-questions/
DATA POLICY:
I must also intimate you with the new development with respect to Data Policy. For the first time ever, the NBA has engaged the services of a licensed Data Protection Compliance Officer (DPCO) who have performed a gaps analysis and subsequently produced a draft data policy document which is currently being reviewed for implementation.
CONCLUSION
The new initiatives as highlighted above represent a significant step forward in in the vission and mission to enhance the NBA’s digital presence, offering valuable resources to our members and stakeholders, enhanced service delivery and ensuring full data policy compliance, while also exploring revenue generating opportunities. This development is geared towards ultimately achieving a tech-driven secretariat. I commend all the IT platforms to you and encourage you to take good advantage of the benefits the platforms offer.
Compliments of the season!
Adesina Adegbite, FICMC
General Secretary
