PPDC CEO lucy james abagi Calls for Stronger Support for Pro Bono Legal Services during the two day summit in abuja
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Abuja, Nigeria — November 3, 2025.
The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has kicked off a two-day summit tagged “Law for Humanity Summit 2025” with the theme “Quintessential Pro Bono Lawyer: Providing Value Without Compromising Professional Standards.” The event, which runs from November 3 to 4, 2025, is being held at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during her welcome remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Mrs. Lucy James Abagi, highlighted the organisation’s ongoing efforts to strengthen access to justice and promote ethical pro bono practice across Nigeria. The initiative, she said, is being supported by the United States Department of State – Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), in collaboration with the State of New York.
Mrs. Abagi explained that over the past two years, PPDC has implemented the “reforming pretrial detention in nigeria – RPDN II”, an initiative designed to address the challenges of awaiting trial inmates and improve access to legal representation for vulnerable citizens.
“For the past two years, PPDC has been working tirelessly through this project to ensure that no Nigerian is detained without access to legal representation,” she said. “We have partnered with ten law clinics and mobilized over 330 law provisions and about 200 pro bono lawyers who are working with us across the country.”
She further revealed that the project currently has 50 police duty solicitors stationed in police formations across five states — Edo, Kaduna, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Plateau, and the FCT. These solicitors, she said, are deployed to ensure that individuals are not unlawfully detained without legal representation.
“You would agree with me that many Nigerians wake up one day and find their relatives missing — only to discover they have been detained without due process. We want to stop that. Through our system, over 15,000 persons have been prevented from unlawful detention at various police stations,” she stated.
Mrs. Abagi noted that many detainees often end up in correctional centres without ever meeting a lawyer. Through the PPDC initiative, law clinics now review such cases and assign pro bono lawyers to handle minor and criminal matters. So far, she said, over 5,500 inmates across the five pilot states have received free legal representation through this programme.
“This is a very significant milestone when it comes to the concept of the quintessential pro bono lawyer — one who provides value and service without compromising ethical or professional standards,” she emphasized.
“We know pro bono work is noble, but it is not without cost. The government and private sector must come together to institutionalize and fund access to justice for the poor. If our partners in the United States can support this effort, Nigeria can and should do even more,” she added.
The summit also featured over 500 law students and young lawyers, alongside seasoned legal professionals and ethics experts, who are mentoring participants on how to deliver free legal services while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.
As the two-day event continues, participants are expected to deliberate on sustainable frameworks for pro bono legal practice, justice sector reform, and strategies to institutionalize access to justice for all Nigerians.
