By Nkechi Eze
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has called on newly inducted lawyers to embrace mentorship, hard work, and faith in destiny as foundational pillars for success in the legal profession.
Dr. Aliyu made the remarks on Monday, July 29, 2025, while speaking as a panelist at a seminar and welcome programme organised for new wigs and young lawyers by the Mentorship Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), held in Abuja. The session, themed “Life After Call, Finding Your Path,” brought together distinguished members of the bar to provide professional guidance to aspiring legal practitioners.
According to an official statement by ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the ICPC Chairman emphasized the transformative role that mentorship and diligence played in his own career trajectory.
“In my own view, for you to succeed as a young lawyer, you need a mentor; you must work hard, and the third key is the place of destiny in the life of every person, whether we like it or not,” he told the gathering of young legal minds.
Drawing from personal experience, Dr. Aliyu narrated his journey from private practice to academia, and eventually into public service. He described how the counsel and example of seasoned legal mentors helped to shape his professional values, including humility, focus, and persistence.
“I consider myself as someone lucky in the legal profession. I started as a private legal practitioner and then moved to academia. I did my Master’s degree in Nigeria and a PhD outside the country. I became Attorney General two times and now I’m Chairman of the ICPC,” he shared.
The ICPC boss also disclosed that he spent about 15 years working under four senior lawyers before being appointed Attorney General of Jigawa State in 2019, crediting his rise to a consistent commitment to learning and excellence in every assignment.
Earlier in the programme, the keynote speaker and two-time Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Godwin Agabi, SAN, urged young lawyers to uphold truth and integrity as the bedrock of their legal practice.
“Time has come that lawyers must begin to speak the truth in practising their profession,” Agabi said. “When you defend, do so with all the passion in you.”
He also advised the new wigs to learn from the past mistakes of older lawyers and to be mindful of their choices, warning that every action taken in the early stages of their career would yield consequences.
In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the NBA Mentorship Committee, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, OON, SAN, expressed gratitude to the legal luminaries who participated in the event. He noted that their presence and shared experiences would serve as an invaluable inspiration to the young lawyers.
“It is the sacred responsibility of the experienced to guide the aspiring new wigs and young lawyers,” he said.
The seminar is part of a series of activities by the Nigerian Bar Association aimed at nurturing the next generation of legal professionals and ensuring that critical knowledge and ethical standards are transmitted from one generation to the next.
