Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has urged lawyers in the country to uphold the integrity of the legal profession and not trade it for financial gains.

Ezekwesili spoke  yesterday  during a panel session at the ongoing 2025 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual Conference in Enugu.

She lamented the state of the economy and the hardship faced by Nigerians, especially the poor.

She cautioned lawyers against allowing the profession to be “handed over to a bunch of lousy politicians,” warning that such tendencies could destroy future generations.

“Lawyers are the best minds any society could have. A profession that rewards pre-examined behaviour cannot be one that truly cares about tomorrow,” she said.

Decrying the notion that politics is a shortcut to wealth, Ezekwesili described it as an “anomaly” and urged lawyers to re-evaluate their role in shaping Nigeria’s future.

She further charged them to demand better governance and accountability from political leaders in order to safeguard the nation’s development.

Ezekwesili, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), also economic policy expert, decried federal government’s handling of economic reforms, noting that good reforms were done badly due to the government’s refusal to listen to advice.

“For petroleum prices, we normally advise that liberalising and getting market pricing of a commodity like that is what to plan for, otherwise it will infuse the economy.”

She stated that the removal of fuel subsidy, though a necessary reform, was poorly implemented, resulting in rising inflation and widespread suffering.

“That reform was not prepared, so we ended up in this situation as the country operates a one-commodity-based economy,” she said.

Ezekwesili, a former World Bank Director, noted that the poor were bearing the brunt of the government’s mismanagement, with over 133 million Nigerians now living in poverty.

She blamed the crisis on failure to reward hard work and the mishandling of key economic reforms.

“Lawyers should take responsibility for providing necessary guardrails for the behaviour of the political class.

“You represent the heartbeat of professionalism in our country and in any society,” she said.

Ezekwesili further emphasised the need for accountability in governance and prioritisation of citizen’s welfare.

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