From NBA to Supreme Court: Full list of Nigeria's top legal institutions under women
- Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, was elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association, completing a historic sweep
- For the first time in Nigerian history, the Nigerian Law School, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and NBA all have female leaders
- The four women now heading Nigeria's top legal bodies represent a landmark shift in the country's justice sector
Nigeria's legal sector has reached an unprecedented milestone, with women now occupying the top positions across its four most powerful institutions simultaneously.
The latest development came with the election of Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), completing what is a historic first in the country's legal history.
Source: Twitter
This is coming at a time when there is a call for women's representation at the national level, and the National Assembly is currently discussing permanent seats for women in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Nigerian Bar Association
Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was elected NBA President in the most recent leadership transition of the association, which serves as the umbrella body for all legal practitioners in the country.
Her emergence puts a woman in charge of the NBA for the first time alongside three other female leaders across the sector.
Nigerian Law School
Dr Olugbemisola Odusote made history as the first female Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, the institution responsible for training law graduates and certifying them for legal practice in Nigeria.
Her appointment broke a longstanding tradition of male leadership at the institution.
Source: Twitter
Court of Appeal
Honourable Justice Monica Bolna'an Dongban-Mensem, CFR, serves as the President of the Court of Appeal, which is Nigeria's second-highest court and handles appeals from the Federal High Court and other lower courts.
Justice Dongban-Mensem's leadership of the court is another significant marker in the advancement of women within the Nigerian judiciary.
Supreme Court of Nigeria
At the apex of Nigeria's judicial system sits Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who holds the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria. As the head of the Supreme Court, she is the highest-ranking judicial officer in the country, responsible for overseeing the administration of justice at the federal level.
Together, the four women now leading the Nigerian Law School, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, and the NBA represent a moment that legal observers are likely to regard as a turning point in the history of the Nigerian justice system.
Source: Twitter
Rivers' administrator to drag NBA to court
Legit.ng earlier reported that the sole administrator in Rivers state insisted that the N300 million paid to the Nigerian Bar Association (NB) by the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara was for the hosting rights of the 2025 annual general conference (AGC).
Ibok-Ete Ibas' leadership in the oil-rich state rejected the claim of the legal body that the payment was a "gift" and threatened to take legal action against the sole administrator. The NBA had claimed that it did not collect a hosting fee of N300 million from the administration of suspended Governor Fubara.
Source: Legit.ng
