LPPC Opens Applications for 2027 SAN Rank, Sets ₦5m, ₦2.5m Fees

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has invited eligible legal practitioners to apply for the 2027 conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), with its application portal scheduled to open on November 1, 2026.

The committee fixed a non-refundable processing fee of ₦5 million for lawyers in private practice and ₦2.5 million for those employed in government service.

The application process will be conducted online through the committee’s designated portal, in accordance with Section 5(2) of the Legal Practitioners Act and the 2022 Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The notice, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola Akanbi, directed applicants to pay the prescribed fees into designated accounts maintained by the committee at Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank.

Applicants are required to upload evidence of payment to the online portal for verification. The LPPC Secretariat will subsequently send a confirmation email, after which candidates can proceed with their applications.

The committee stressed that all applicants must submit clear, legible copies of the mandatory documents and other supporting materials specified in the applicable guidelines.

It warned that applications that fail to comply with the stipulated requirements or deadlines would be rejected.

The portal will open at midnight on November 1, 2026, while the deadline for submitting applications and supporting documents online is midnight on January 31, 2027.

Applicants are also required to submit five flash drives containing copies of their completed application forms and supporting documents to the LPPC Secretariat by 4 p.m. on February 1, 2027.

For candidates applying under the academic category, the committee has additionally required seven physical copies each of their curriculum vitae and impact statements, alongside the prescribed flash drives. Applicants must also upload scanned copies of their published works through the portal.

The LPPC stated that submissions received after the prescribed deadlines would be treated as non-submissions.

The announcement follows the swearing-in of 68 legal practitioners as Senior Advocates of Nigeria at the commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year on October 12, 2026. The group comprised 67 advocates and one academic, Professor Nnamdi Onyeka Obiaraeri.

The LPPC had approved the elevation of the new recipients at its 174th plenary session in July.

The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is one of the highest professional distinctions in the country's legal profession, awarded to practitioners who meet the committee's prescribed standards and selection requirements.

Prospective applicants seeking clarification on the 2027 exercise were directed to contact the LPPC Secretariat at the Supreme Court Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, or through its official email address, lppcsecretariat@courts.gov.ng.