Nigerians are fuming over the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee’s (LPPC) new application fees for the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank.
Private lawyers must now pay a staggering N5 million, while public service lawyers will part with N2.5 million. Last year, applicants paid N1 million.
The massive increase has sparked widespread anger, with many calling it an attempt to commercialise one of Nigeria’s most prestigious legal honours.
Critics argue the move will make the SAN title accessible only to wealthy lawyers, not the most qualified.
Human rights lawyer Professor Chidi Odinkalu condemned the policy on X, asking, “How do they expect an honest public servant to find this money?” He warned that the title could soon be “priced into extinction.”
Many Nigerians on social media have labelled the fee “extortionist” and accused the LPPC of turning the legal profession into a marketplace. Some even claimed bribery would remain a hidden requirement.
“This is how corruption starts — when merit is replaced with money,” one user wrote.
Public speaker and gender advocate Olufunke Baruwa described the new policy as “heartbreaking,” saying it forces honest lawyers out of contention.
“How can a public servant earning less than N500,000 monthly afford this?” she asked. “Unless we expect them to be corrupt.”
She urged SAN titleholders to advocate scrapping the fees, warning that the rank risks losing all credibility.
Meanwhile, the LPPC has remained silent on the outrage.
Some legal experts defended past fee increases, claiming the SAN process must be self-financing and reflective of inflation.
However, this latest hike—five times the previous year’s fee—comes as Nigerians battle record inflation and rising government service costs.
Many now fear that the legal profession’s highest honour is becoming the preserve of the elite—another victim of Nigeria’s deepening inequality.
As one social media user put it, “The SAN title used to symbolise excellence. Now, it’s just for those who can afford the price tag.”
