All too soon we have arrived at yet another conference organised by the section on business law aimed at raising the standard of business law practice in Nigeria. The theme for this year's conference is law and development in a globalised economy. I have said it repeatedly that our aspirations as a country will only be fulfilled when we plug into the global economy. And one major instrument to achieve this is the law. A cursory look at the subjects slated for discussion will reveal that the commanding heights of businesses in Africa are infrastructural development and legal and regulatory issues, because these are the vehicles that translate otherwise mundane concepts into reality.



We can ask ourselves a few rhetorical questions, what if Nigeria had uninterrupted power supply, what if we had excellent highways, railways, transport systems, what if what if what if. The principle here is that development is driven by man and it is the ability of man to move in the easiest and quickest fashion from one location to another that impacts directly on the level of development any nation can achieve. Nigeria can be a business hub not only for this continent but for itself because if we had highways and railways linking one part of this country efficiently with another, it means business people at all levels can move their wares, themselves and create this extensive network and bee hive of activities that can guarantee growth. Yet in this busy atmosphere we dream of there must be order and that is where the law comes in. It is this link between law and development that this conference tries to establish. It is therefore not difficult to see why interest in this conference has gone well beyond these shores. Nigeria occupies a unique place in Africa and we must never shy away from the role to lead the continent.



When the SBL held the first conference in 2006, we knew immediately given the level of interest and attendance that there was hunger for knowledge in this country. Last year, we widened the horizon to include Africa and the hunger even became more severe and so this year, we have decided that we might as well go global. It is our firm intention to establish this conference as the best and most prestigious business law conference on this continent. At the time of writing this piece we have received nearly a hundred and fifty registrations from abroad and this of itself is a clear testimony of the high esteem in which we are held. We cannot therefore afford to devalue ourselves.



As I did on previous occasions, I encourage all Nigerian lawyers to attend and especially make a plea for senior lawyers especially from the well established law firms to sponsor juniors so that we can all begin to taste of this international standard that we so frequently talk about. Abuja 2008 will be a bee hive of intellectual feast, social interaction and business networking. As with the IBA there are a number of social activities that are lined up and many of these will showcase our rich cultural heritage. The famous play KURUNMI Play by Ola Rotimi will be one of the highlights of the social events. The chairman's dinner on the closing day will feature Afe, Atanda dance movement and band and Sammy Needle. What this tells you is that we all are in for a swell time. One last thing, don't forget to bring out the best your wardrobe has to offer because it is also an opportunity to show off to the world. And another final thing, remember to be good hosts to our foreign visitors, because this conference should also showcase our traditional African hospitality.