Nigerian Law Society Declares Autonomy for Blue Silk Rank

The Nigerian Law Society (NLS) and the Body of Senior Counsel Nigeria (BOSCON) have declared their autonomy to confer the Blue Silk rank, a designation for senior counsel in Nigeria. This declaration, made in a statement released on Friday and signed by Dahiru Aliyu, the President of NLS, asserts that the NLS and BOSCON can conduct their internal affairs without interference from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The NBA had previously threatened sanctions against lawyers who pursue the Blue Silk rank, deeming it illegitimate. In response, NLS and BOSCON emphasized their right to govern their internal affairs, referencing a judgment by Hon. Moham Garba Umar delivered on January 27, 2026, which stated that neither the NBA nor the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee has the authority to interfere with the conferment of the Blue Silk rank.

The NLS and BOSCON are registered organizations, certified on December 30, 2025, and they maintain that their criteria for awarding the rank are based on verified non-litigious transactions.