A person's inability to afford a lawyer can determine whether they successfully defend their rights or remain exposed to injustice. From detainees struggling to secure legal representation to women trapped in abusive marriages and families facing the loss of their homes or livelihoods, financial hardship can place justice beyond reach. Nigerian lawyer Yusuf Nurudeen has made addressing this barrier a central part of his professional work, earning international recognition for his efforts to provide legal assistance to vulnerable people.
Nurudeen received the International Bar Association's (IBA) Pro Bono Award on October 8, 2026, during the association's annual awards breakfast in Copenhagen, Denmark. The award was presented by Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, chair of the IBA Section on Public and Professional Interest for 2025–2026, alongside other executives of the section.
At the centre of Nurudeen's work is the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development, also known as The Pro Bono Centre. Under his leadership, 141 volunteer lawyers operate across 18 states in Nigeria, providing free legal assistance to people who might otherwise be unable to secure adequate representation. The volunteers contribute their time, professional expertise and resources without expecting financial rewards.
In his acceptance speech, Nurudeen dedicated the award to these lawyers, describing the recognition as a tribute to their collective commitment rather than an individual accomplishment.
His determination to expand access to justice is rooted in his upbringing in Ikotun, Lagos, where he grew up as the first lawyer in his family. He reflected on how wrongful imprisonment could have changed the course of his own life if his father had suffered the fate of two Nigerians whose cases he cited.
“If my father had been wrongfully arrested and incarcerated for thirteen years, like Igba Isaac, or eight years, like Pa Idowu Fashola, my dreams might have been cut short,” he said.
His reference to Igba Isaac, who he said endured 13 years of wrongful incarceration, and Pa Idowu Fashola, whose case involved eight years, illustrated the consequences that prolonged wrongful detention can have on families. Such experiences can deprive individuals of their freedom while undermining the opportunities available to their children.
According to Nurudeen, the legal profession must ensure that people are not left helpless because they lack money or influence.
“Leaving these victims of our society’s inherent inequality helpless cannot be the promise of the legal profession,” he said.
“Our undertaking must be to ensure the law remains an instrument of justice, not a privilege reserved for wealth, power, or influence.”
He described pro bono service as a professional responsibility and a fundamental pillar of justice, not simply an act of charity. He said the award should encourage the expansion of the initiative rather than signal the completion of its mission.
“I accept this award not as a declaration that our work is complete, but as a challenge to do more,” he said.
“It renews my commitment to resisting the commodification of justice and ensuring that poverty does not become a sentence of helplessness.”
The Copenhagen ceremony also recognised Charmaine Yao, who received the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, and Zar Li Aye, honoured for an outstanding contribution by a legal practitioner to human rights.
Speaking at a reception for the Nigerian delegation in Copenhagen, Nigeria's Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said Nigeria needed to examine its own shortcomings rather than merely observe developments elsewhere.
“Our greatest responsibility is not simply to learn what the world is doing; rather, it is to examine what Nigeria must do better,” he said.
He called for closer cooperation among the Bar, Bench, government, academia and the private sector, noting that no single institution had all the answers to the challenges facing the justice system. He also emphasised the need for faster justice delivery, stronger institutions and greater use of technology.
“Justice must become faster. Our institutions must become stronger. Technology must increasingly support the delivery of justice,” he said.
Fagbemi added that Nigerians should experience the impact of justice in their daily lives rather than encounter its promises only in statutes.
Nigeria's Ambassador to Sweden, with concurrent accreditation to Denmark, Finland and Norway, Lola Akande, called for stronger cooperation between Nigeria and the Nordic countries in trade, investment, innovation, technology and knowledge exchange. In a goodwill message, Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation Bello Muhammad Goronyo urged Nigerian lawyers to build stronger law firms capable of competing for international legal assignments.
The IBA conference, held in Copenhagen from October 4 to 9, 2026, attracted more than 5,000 participants representing over 2,700 law firms, corporations, governments and regulators from more than 130 jurisdictions, according to the conference material. More than 200 sessions were scheduled to cover international law, dispute resolution, human rights, artificial intelligence, legal services and the future of the legal profession.
Nurudeen's recognition brings international attention to the work of Nigerian legal professionals addressing the gap between the right to seek justice and the ability to afford representation. Through The Pro Bono Centre, the 141 volunteer lawyers are providing a practical means of reaching people who might otherwise struggle to defend their interests.
The award also reinforces the need to extend such services to more communities. As Nurudeen's acceptance speech made clear, the task ahead is to ensure that a person's financial circumstances do not determine whether they can seek protection under the law.
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