LPPC opens 2027 SAN application portal, pegs fees at N5m, N2.5m

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has opened applications for the 2027 conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), fixing a non-refundable processing fee of N5 million for lawyers in private practice and N2.5 million for those in government employment.

The committee announced that its application portal, www.lppconline.com, would open at midnight on November 1, 2026, with all application procedures to be conducted online.

The notice, issued pursuant to Section 5(2) of the Legal Practitioners Act and Paragraphs 10(1)–(4) of the 2022 Guidelines for the Conferment of the SAN Rank, was signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola Akanbi.

Applicants are required to pay the prescribed fees into the committee’s designated accounts with Zenith Bank (1014103141) or GTBank (0213662834) and upload evidence of payment on the portal for verification.

The LPPC said its secretariat would subsequently send confirmation emails to successful applicants, enabling them to proceed with their submissions.

It directed applicants under both the advocacy and academic categories to upload clear copies of all mandatory and supporting documents specified in the guidelines.

Applicants under the academic category are additionally required to submit seven physical photocopies each of their curriculum vitae and impact statements, alongside flash drives.

All applicants must submit five flash drives containing their completed application forms, downloaded from the portal, and copies of all documents uploaded during the application process.

The committee fixed midnight on January 31, 2027, as the deadline for online applications, while the flash drives must be delivered to its secretariat not later than 4 p.m. on February 1, 2027.

It warned that applications that fail to comply with the stipulated requirements or are submitted after the deadlines would be rejected and treated as non-submissions.

Further enquiries, according to the notice, should be directed to lppcsecretariat@courts.gov.ng.

The SAN rank, regarded as one of the highest professional distinctions in Nigeria’s legal profession, is conferred on legal practitioners who have distinguished themselves through excellence and significant contributions to the development of the profession.

Established under the Legal Practitioners Act of 1975, the rank was first conferred on April 3, 1975, on Chief F.R.A. Williams and Dr Nabo Graham-Douglas.

The distinction is administered by the LPPC, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and recognises outstanding achievement in legal practice and, under the applicable guidelines, academia.

Recipients are traditionally referred to as members of the Inner Bar and enjoy privileges associated with the prestigious rank, including the right to wear a silk gown and occupy the front row in court.

In the last two conferment exercises, the committee elevated 125 legal practitioners and academics to the rank, comprising 57 recipients in 2025 and 68 in 2026.

The latest exercise saw Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, swear in 68 new SANs, comprising 67 advocates and one academic, Professor Nnamdi Onyeka Obiaraeri, on October 12, 2026, during a special session of the Supreme Court marking the commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year.

Their elevation followed the approval of the LPPC at its 174th plenary session held in July 2026.