By Princely Onyenwe | News Desk
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected the 33rd President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), making history as the second woman to lead the association and the first to attain the office through the NBA’s current nationwide electoral process.
The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) declared Badejo-Okusanya winner after she secured 12,317 votes, defeating fellow Senior Advocates of Nigeria Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, who polled 7,934 votes, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, who garnered 5,855 votes in the keenly contested nationwide electronic election.
Her victory marks another defining moment in the history of the Nigerian Bar Association, one of Africa’s largest professional bodies with over 130,000 lawyers. She succeeds Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, whose tenure comes to an end later this year.
Although Chief Mrs. Priscilla Kuye became the first female President of the NBA between 1991 and 1992, Badejo-Okusanya is widely acknowledged as the first woman to win the association’s presidency through its present-day nationwide electoral system, underscoring the growing inclusiveness of leadership within the legal profession.
A highly respected commercial litigation and dispute resolution expert, Badejo-Okusanya studied English before earning her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the University of Lagos. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002 and has built more than two decades of distinguished legal practice.
She began her legal career at the renowned commercial law firm Olaniwun Ajayi LP before becoming a founding partner of Africa Law Practice NG & Co., where she currently co-heads the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice.
In recognition of her exceptional contributions to the legal profession, she was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2025, joining the elite cadre of advocates recognized for excellence in advocacy and legal practice.
Beyond private practice, Badejo-Okusanya previously served as Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reform in Lagos State and has occupied several strategic positions within the NBA, including committee memberships and leadership roles in organising the association’s Annual General Conference.
Her emergence is expected to usher in a new era for the Bar as members anticipate reforms aimed at improving lawyers’ welfare, strengthening judicial independence, expanding continuing legal education, accelerating digital transformation within the association, and reinforcing the NBA’s advocacy for constitutional democracy, the rule of law and protection of fundamental human rights.
Legal practitioners across Nigeria have described her election as a major milestone for gender inclusion and professional excellence, expressing optimism that her wealth of experience in litigation, legal administration and institutional leadership will further strengthen the Nigerian Bar Association.
Founded in 1933, the Nigerian Bar Association remains the umbrella body for legal practitioners in Nigeria and has continued to play a pivotal role in shaping legal reforms, promoting good governance and defending the independence of the judiciary.
Badejo-Okusanya’s election has continued to attract congratulatory messages from senior lawyers, judicial officers, public office holders and members of the legal community, many describing her emergence as a significant chapter in the evolution of the legal profession and a renewed opportunity to reposition the NBA for greater service to its members and the nation.
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