The
boss of the acclaimed Africa’s most integrated Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) conglomerate, gave this charge at the three-day, 2016 Annual
General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) which closes in Port
Harcourt, Rivers State, Friday August 26th 2016.
He
said in his paper entitled “Wealth
Creation for the Lawyer in the 21st Century using technology,” serial
digital entrepreneur Ekeh challenged the audience which included Learned Silks,
Honourable Body of Benchers and distinguished Members of the Bar, among others
to wake up to the strong and compelling circumstances necessitating changes in
the legal market place and forcing it out of its protective cocoon.
Ekeh
noted that the legal profession is one that is notoriously averse to change, stressing
that the survival of any sector, profession or business organisation is
directly dependent on its ability to innovate and align itself with the present
digital revolution.
“In
our present society, technology has permeated almost all sectors, industries
and several human undertakings. Many sectors have been overtaken by the
internet, mobile phone apps and people’s ability to find free information as
against situations they used to pay for. Any organization or sector that
refuses to innovate and embrace new technological realities will eventually
die.
Ekeh who posited that the 21st century is a
century for only those who want to be successful, said it is a century you can
alter your destiny and remain a global success. He said it is a century of
knowledge and style.
“The
law profession must embrace this change and properly align itself to the
benefit maximally from the present digital revolution. In this 21st century, a
lawyer’s wealth shall be determined by the application of digital technology to
his work. It is either the lawyer reinvents himself to the technological realities
of the 21st century and its impact on service delivery to clients or the lawyer
would eventually disappear from the radar of the legal profession.”
Ekeh pointed out, the revolutions in the field of ICT puts a lot of pressures on the
legal profession which makes it imperative for the contemporary lawyer to
re-tool in order to remain relevant in the scheme of things.
“Law
has been something of a protected industry spared from some of the general
business realities applicable to almost all other industries. Lawyers occupy a
unique place with monopoly of access to legal knowledge, and no real competition.
For instance, the relationship with the client is controlled by the law firm
which decides almost entirely by itself how the services are to be delivered,
and dictating the costs, pricing, and strategic direction.
“Hence,
as long as the status quo served the lawyer, there is no need to innovate or
provide cost-efficient services. It is a closed market. But whereas, the seller
(the lawyer) appears comfortable with the status quo, he fails to realize that
his earnings can greatly be increased by innovation and technology which
invariably would cause a disruption of the status quo in the legal marketplace.
“But
now, there are strong and compelling circumstances necessitating changes in the
legal market place and forcing it out of its protective cocoon.”
Ekeh
also said, today’s lawyers stand a better chance of building new and
sustainable wealth, only if they upgrade their knowledge and leverage on the
numerous opportunities available through technology.
Urging
lawyers to explore businesses such as Family Offices which are increasingly
being embraced by discreet but very successful clients, Ekeh counselled members
of the audience to acquire knowledge on Family Council as well as professional
management of Trusts instead of Will which is the cause of unlimited
litigations and wastage of saved resources in many families in Nigeria.
In
addition, the Zinox helmsman disclosed other areas such as set-up of
virtual/digital law libraries, cloud-computing, e-form and drafting templates,
digital law reporting, e-conferencing as well as networking and the use of
social media which could help the lawyer lend further technological refinements
to the practice of the profession.
The
session which witnessed a question-and-answer session also had in attendance
the Honourable Minister of Communications represented by the Postmaster General
of the Federation, Asiwaju Bisi Adegbuyi as well as representatives from the
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) among others.
Nenye Dom/GEE
ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!
Pix: Ekeh, Zinox chairman.
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