George Weah to deliver keynote address at NBA annual conference

Former Liberian President George Weah is expected to deliver the keynote address at the 2026 annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The conference has been scheduled to take place from August 21, 2026 to August 28, 2026 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

Weah was president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before he joined politics, he was a footballer. Weah is the only African player to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, a diadem he took home in 1995.

In a statement on Tuesday, Abdul Muhammed, chairman of the NBA annual general conference planning committee (AGCPC), said the selection of Weah as keynote speaker shows the commitment of the association to “elevate the quality of discourse”.

Advertisement
Muhammed said when Weah became president of Liberia, he reduced his salary by 25 percent and introduced policies to improve access to education.

“In a rare demonstration of statesmanship, His Excellency Weah stepped down from the presidency in 2024 after a runoff election in which his closest rival polled 50.64% to his 49.36%,” the statement reads.

“His decision not to challenge the outcome of the elections despite the razor-thin margin, and to relinquish power, cemented Weah’s reputation as a principled democrat, an honourable statesman, and a distinguished African who is a model of good governance.

“Before entering partisan politics, George Weah had served as the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF from 1997. In 2004, he received the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN for his work on behalf of children who were affected by conflict, disease, and poverty.

“In 1995, George Weah became the first and, to date, only African footballer to win the Ballon d’Or, the FIFA World Player of the Year Award, and the African Footballer of the Year Award in the same year—an historic feat.”

The NBA AGCPC chairman said the conference presents a platform for the association to evaluate its choices ahead of the 2027 elections.