Global legal body honours Nigerian lawyer

The International Bar Association has honored a Nigerian lawyer, Yusuf Nurudeen, for his dedication to defending human rights and justice. Nurudeen, the founder of the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development, received the IBA Pro Bono Award at the organization's annual conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on Thursday. The award recognized his "exceptional and sustained commitment to securing access to justice in Nigeria."

In his acceptance speech, Nurudeen acknowledged the efforts of his pro bono center's volunteers, stating, "This award does not belong to me alone. I dedicate it to our 141 remarkable volunteer lawyers across 18 states in Nigeria at the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (The Pro Bono Centre), who continually give their time, knowledge and resources without expectation of financial reward."

The global legal body also acknowledged two other lawyers, Zar Li Aye from Myanmar and Charmaine Yap from Singapore. Li Aye received the IBA Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner to Human Rights, while Yap was honored with the IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.