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In a bid to curb forgery around the legal space, the Nigerian Bar Association has introduced a digital stamp and seal for legal practitioners in the country.
According to the NBA, the virtual stamp would not only help to check the activities of fake lawyers but also ensure seamless preparation and filing of legal processes.
The association’s outgoing President, Yakubu Maikyau, unveiled the electronic stamp and seal in Abuja on Monday.
He said that manual process of acquiring and applying for stamps had become outdated, vulnerable to forgery and inefficient.
Maikyau noted that the digital stamp and seal are fully integrated into Microsoft Word to ensure a streamlined and efficient process for affixing digital stamps from within the Microsoft Word interface.
He said, “The NBA has always been at the forefront of upholding the highest standards of quality and integrity in the legal profession. For years, the manual stamp and seal have been the symbol of authenticity — a mark that every legal document is backed by the expertise of a licenced professional.
“The manual process of acquiring and applying our stamp has become outdated, vulnerable to forgery and inefficient. The times have changed. The world is digital, and so must we. The NBA Digital Stamp and Seal is a groundbreaking innovation powered by cutting-edge blockchain technology and seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Word.”
“Another unique innovation of this project is the NBA Digital Stamp and Seal Verification App, available on both Android and iOS, empowering the public to verify the authenticity of a legal document with a simple smartphone scan,” he added.
The NBA General Secretary, Adeshina Adegbite, said the association on June 18, 2024, signed the contract that ensured the deployment of the virtual stamp and seal.
