Nkongho Agbor Is President Of Cameroon Union Of Young Lawyers

By Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe

Barrister Nkongho Agbor has been elected the president of the Cameroon Union of Young Lawyers.

He was elected last Sunday in a heated election of the union that took place at a Douala based hotel during the Elective General Assembly of the union.

He carried the day after getting the majority of the over 600 members who turned out to vote.

The Union it should be noted boosts of over 800 members, being lawyers with less than 15 years in the legal practice.

Before the elections, Barrister Nkongho Agbor told Young Layers in Cameroon that, the creation of an office space for the union was vital.

“An office space is a very vital part of the development of Young Lawyers. We can't limit the seat of the CUYL to a briefcase. There must be an equipped office where programs for Young Lawyers are planned, a place where Young Lawyers meet and actively exchange ideas and information, a place where Young Lawyers forward their worries in a formal way, a place where we get together, a place that has a Secretariat which acts as a permanent administrative office.”  He said.

“We cannot build a structure for the office at this moment. But we can rent a house to accommodate the office. While some willing colleagues and partners have already provided equipments and related funds, I shall defray rents and other costs for a very decent building for a period of 2 years. The long term maintenance and management of the office shall be set in collaboration with the other executive members and members of the Permanent Commission.

This office shall be in Yaounde and regional branches shall be set up if the General Assembly deems it necessary.” He added.

The practice of law according to Nkongho Agbor is comparable to the functioning of a machine.

“Without maintenance and improvement, it runs amok, either function poorly or not at all, and it later becomes obsolete. It is true that we have not learnt enough as young lawyers; it is true that there are still miles to go before we can be referred to as experts. We need to continue learning so as to build our capacities and careers. Now is the time to start.” His Manifesto reads.

He assured the young lawyers that, with him at the helm, continuous education, capacity building and career development are assured.

Before now, he says he has ensured the organization of conferences, seminars, colloquiums, and other related programmes and that international body of legal experts and world leading lawyers Chambers Global have attested to his efforts.

“My model for the Association is one that aligns with the Cameroon Bar Association and hinges on allowing experienced practitioners and corporate personnel to teach young lawyers on how to manage their practice as a business, place themselves in the market, get clients and deliver in a win-win manner. I have many of our senior colleagues, national and foreign practitioners and personnel waiting to start with well developed programs that will require your perusal and consideration” He said.

Speaking after the elections, he said he thanked the Lawyers for giving him the confidence and promised that the first step is to work on the statutes of the Union.

The new President, Nkongho Agbor who is based in Douala possesses cross-border transactional experience. His areas of activity include mining, project finance and telecoms.

He is a highly organized and motivated lawyer, valued for the passion to work as a corporate and commercial lawyer.

He enjoys a high level of autonomy and responsibility, working closely with a great team to deliver legal services of the highest standard to companies with interest in Africa.
He believes that more than anything, it is fascinating to guide a client from the meeting rooms to the court rooms for all commercial and corporate matters.

From Due Diligence, M&A, Commercial contracts, Regulatory advice, Immigration law, to putting the puzzle together in project finance, the new president has carved out a particular niche in responding to client needs in Francophone Africa.