Legal regulation is an integral component of economic reforms. It has been recognised that certain legal and institutional frameworks are conducive and  enable economic growth. Without enabling laws and laws to regulate economic reform and development, little progress will be achieved. This will result in the existence of weak institutions and poor regulation – the Nigerian story.

Lack of laws regulating development in the country has been part of the reasons why despite all the efforts of government to kick start development and economic growth, the achieved results are not commensurate to the efforts put in setting up the mechanisms.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is poised to achieve reform of the development law sector. This will result in strengthening existing institutions, proper regulation of development sector and instituting mechanisms for benchmarking progress in the development sector. This mandate of the NBA is in line with its objectives to promote good governance and the rule of law in Nigeria and achieve reform in these sectors.

To achieve these objectives, the NBA is convening a consultative forum with development partners on the 11^th of February 2011. The purpose of the consultative forum is to provide a platform to engage and share perspectives on governance, development and reform issues in Nigeria and to explore areas of collaboration.

The forum will involve a presentation by the NBA on its programme of action and intervention strategy in the following areas:

• Election reforms and administration of election justice
• Human rights: Promotion and protection of human rights, including environmental rights and the Niger Delta Challenge
• Justice Sector reforms
• Gender Issues: domestication of CEDAW
• Economic Development: removal of obstacles to local and foreign investment in Nigeria
• Rule of Law and access to justice: strengthening administration of justice delivery and the rule of law in Nigeria.

The NBA is the professional body charged with dispensing these duties, in view of its role as a vanguard for the entrenchment of rule of law and good governance, and its commitment to strengthening the legal skills and law practice in Nigeria to meet the needs of the 21^st century.

The consultative forum will provide a platform for development partners to make suggestions, outline their positions and identify key areas that the NBA should pay attention to. It will also involve and identification of the areas in which development partners are expected to collaborate with the NBA in the reforms.

From the Nigerian Bar Association.