Former Liberian president George Weah To Deliver Keynote At NBA Conference

Former Liberian President George Weah will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt.

The NBA announced on Tuesday that Weah, who served as Liberia’s president from 2018 to 2024, will headline the conference, which is themed “Beyond Limits.”

According to the conference organisers, Weah was selected in recognition of his achievements in public service, sports and humanitarian work, as well as his contribution to democratic governance in Africa.

Chairman of the NBA Annual General Conference Planning Committee, Abdul Muhammed (SAN), said Weah’s participation reflected the association’s commitment to enriching discussions on leadership, governance and national development.

“The announcement of His Excellency Weah as the keynote speaker underscores the commitment of the Nigerian Bar to elevate the quality of discourse and deepen conversations on the issues to be explored in the context of this year’s theme, ‘Beyond Limits’,” the statement said.

The organisers noted that during his presidency, Weah introduced policies aimed at expanding access to higher education, including tuition-free education in public universities, and oversaw infrastructure development.

They also highlighted his decision to concede defeat and hand over power peacefully after the 2023 presidential runoff election, describing it as a demonstration of democratic leadership.

Before entering politics, Weah served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and, in 1995, became the first—and so far only—African footballer to win the Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player of the Year and African Footballer of the Year awards in the same year.

The NBA said this year’s conference comes ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections and will provide a platform for discussions on governance, law and the country’s political and economic future.

The association added that the conference builds on the success of the 2025 edition in Enugu, which featured South African politician Julius Malema as keynote speaker.