Nigerian public interest lawyer Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen receives 2026 IBA Pro Bono Award
The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, has announced Nigerian public interest lawyer and access to justice advocate Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen as the recipient of the 2026 IBA Annual Pro Bono Award.
Presented at the 2026 IBA Annual Conference in Copenhagen, the Award recognises Mr Nurudeen’s exceptional and sustained commitment to pro bono legal service and access to justice in Nigeria.
Mr Nurudeen is a litigator and notary public whose work combines legal representation, research and advocacy to protect human dignity. He holds a Master of Laws with Distinction from Lagos State University, where his research examined human rights and pre-trial justice in Nigeria. He is a 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow and a Fellow of The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL). He is also a former Chair of the Nigerian Bar Association Young Lawyers Forum, Ikeja Branch and has served as a member of the Nigerian Bar Association National Executive Committee (NBA-NEC).
Mr Nurudeen, IBA Pro Bono awardee, commented: ‘Receiving the IBA Annual Pro Bono Award is a profound honour and an affirmation that access to justice must never depend on a person’s income or status. It gives voice to my campaign against the “commodification of justice” and the “criminalisation of poverty”. I dedicate this recognition to our network of over 141 pro bono volunteer lawyers across 18 states, and to our partners who advance this vision through the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (The Pro Bono Centre). Together, we provide legal representation to indigent and vulnerable persons, including women and children; defend fundamental rights; and challenge unlawful detention. This Award strengthens my resolve to continue harnessing the full strength of the law so that those in need may find protection, trust and solace in Nigeria’s justice system. I hope it inspires lawyers to embrace pro bono service as the highest calling of the profession.’
From one lawyer to a nationwide pro bono network
Mr Nurudeen founded the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (FPIL&D), also known as The Pro Bono Centre, in 2019. The Foundation works across criminal defence, press freedom, digital rights and family law as well as providing direct representation and supporting strategic litigation. It also mobilises volunteer lawyers and delivers legal research, advocacy and education.
In 2023, the Foundation secured the release of Muideen Bilau after he had spent almost ten years at Kirikiri Correctional Centre without trial. Mr Nurudeen has also worked to reduce excessive pre-trial detention through initiatives such as the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDDS). The scheme provides free legal advice to suspects at police stations and enables lawyers to intervene at an early stage.
The IBA Pro Bono Committee statement
In a joint statement, the Pro Bono Award judging committee commented: ‘The IBA Pro Bono Committee is pleased to announce Yusuf Temilola Nurudeen as the recipient of the 2026 IBA Annual Pro Bono Award in recognition of his exceptional and sustained commitment to access to justice in Nigeria. Through the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development, which he founded in 2019, Mr Nurudeen grew approximately a network of 140 active pro bono lawyers operating across 16 states, securing the release of over 780 inmates. His work spans criminal defence, press freedom, digital rights and family law, reflecting both the breadth and depth of his dedication to those who would otherwise have no access to legal representation. Mr Nurudeen embodies the Award’s core values of dedication, innovation and impact, demonstrating that a single lawyer’s commitment can become a movement capable of transforming an entire justice system.’
Award presentation
The 2026 IBA Annual Pro Bono Award was presented by Annette Herrera Rodriguez and Arturo H Banegas Masia, Co-Chairs of the IBA Pro Bono Committee, during the Section on Public and Professional Interest Breakfast (SPPI). This was held on Thursday 8 October at the 2026 IBA Annual Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mr Nurudeen’s acceptance remarks can be read here.
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Notes
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- The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, with the aim of protecting and promoting the rule of law globally, it was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world’s bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.
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