In commemoration of World Mental Health Day, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, on Friday held its 2025 Welfare Conference with the theme “Thriving in Law: Winning Without Burnout.”
The conference, which drew lawyers, wellness experts, and mental health advocates, explored the rising challenges of stress, anxiety, and burnout among legal professionals and proposed sustainable strategies for achieving balance in work and life.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the NBA Ikeja Branch, Mr. Adeniyi Quadri, Esq., said the initiative was designed to promote mental wellness and collective growth among members.
“As we gather to discuss the challenges confronting our profession, it is critical to focus on mental health and collective welfare,” Quadri stated.
“A conference like this provides a platform to share experiences and explore innovative solutions that enhance both our wellbeing and professional effectiveness.”
He commended the Branch Welfare Committee for its efforts and urged members to actively participate and apply lessons that would improve their personal welfare and productivity.
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Delivering the keynote address, Chief Emeka Ozoani, SAN, FCIArb, applauded the leadership of the Ikeja Branch for prioritizing the welfare of lawyers, especially at a time when the pressures of practice have intensified.
“The health of our justice system is inseparable from the health of those who sustain it—the lawyers,” Ozoani said.
“The theme ‘Thriving in Law: Winning Without Burnout’ invites us to redefine success in our profession. Beyond the number of briefs or titles we hold, true success must include peace of mind, integrity, and balance.”
He described burnout as a “hidden epidemic” silently eating through the legal profession, fueled by long hours, congested courts, constant client demands, and the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life.
The Senior Advocate recommended practical solutions such as setting boundaries, leveraging technology, taking rest seriously, managing client expectations, and building supportive relationships through mentorship and professional networks.
“Excellence and balance are not enemies; they are partners,” Ozoani said. “A lawyer who thrives sustainably performs with purpose, not exhaustion.”
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Also speaking at the event, a Wellness Coach and Stress Management Expert, Mrs Yetunde Adekoya, urged lawyers and organizational leaders to build empathetic, humane, and balanced workplaces where performance and wellbeing coexist.
Drawing from personal experience, she emphasized the importance of leadership compassion and setting clear boundaries at work.
“I’ve worked with kind and understanding bosses, and also with those who shouldn’t have been bosses at all,” she said. “Leadership plays a huge role in wellbeing. For those leading chambers and firms, it’s important to demand results, but also to respect boundaries. You shouldn’t be calling a team member at midnight or intruding into their personal time. Boundaries protect both productivity and humanity.”
The wellness expert noted that stress is not an enemy but a natural signal that requires attention, reflection, and proper management.
“Stress is normal — it is a signal, not a sentence. Life itself can be stressful, and sometimes the source of that stress isn’t even work, but the people or environment around us,” she explained. “The foundation of managing stress is recognizing it, not denying it. And the second step is to keep hope alive.”
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She cautioned against resignation to toxic environments whether in offices, marriages, or communities — and urged participants to reclaim their sense of worth and optimism.
“Many have resigned to believing that this is how their life will always be stuck with a toxic boss, a draining job, or an unkind system. But you deserve better. You deserve peace, rest, and the joy of living,” she said.
Encouraging self-reflection, she recounted her own struggle with overwork and the need to deliberately pause.
“I love my work and tend to overdo it,” she admitted. “But I’ve learned that even the most passionate professionals must draw the line, rest, and recharge. Hope and balance are not luxuries they’re survival tools.”
The conference, which coincided with global activities marking World Mental Health Day, forms part of the NBA Ikeja Branch’s continued commitment to promoting mental wellness, emotional intelligence, and sustainable productivity within the Nigerian legal community.
