Profile: Meet Badejo-Okusanya, 33rd Nigerian Bar Association president-elect

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has made history as the 33rd President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), becoming only the second woman to lead the country’s foremost legal body since its establishment 66 years ago.

Her election marks a significant milestone for the legal profession, following the tenure of Priscilla Kuye, who became the association’s first female president in 1991.

Badejo-Okusanya secured victory in the NBA’s electronic election with 12,317 votes, defeating fellow Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe and Olumuyiwa Akinboro. She is expected to assume office during the NBA Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt later this month, succeeding the incumbent president, Afam Osigwe (SAN).

Her journey to the pinnacle of the legal profession reflects years of academic excellence, public service and active participation in Bar affairs.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English from the University of Lagos before pursuing a law degree at the same institution. After being called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002, she began her legal career at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, one of Nigeria’s leading commercial law firms.

In 2007, she joined the Lagos State Government as Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reform under then-Governor Babatunde Fashola, serving in the office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Shasore. The role exposed her to public sector legal reforms and policy development.

Badejo-Okusanya returned to private practice and, in 2017, became a founding partner of Africa Law Practice NG & Company (ALP NG & Co), where she currently serves as Co-Head of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. She was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on September 29, 2025, one of the highest honours in the legal profession.

Beyond litigation, she has built a strong reputation in arbitration and legal administration. She serves on the Board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration and belongs to several prestigious professional bodies, including the International Bar Association, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, African Arbitration Association, International Council for Commercial Arbitration, London Court of International Arbitration, FIDA and ArbitralWomen.

Within the NBA, Badejo-Okusanya has held several leadership positions, including Assistant Secretary of the Lagos Branch, Chair of the 2024 Annual General Conference Planning Committee and member of the National Executive Council. In 2024, she received the NBA Presidential Medal of Service in recognition of her contributions to the association.

Her emergence as NBA President-elect crowns over two decades of legal practice, institutional leadership and dedicated service to Nigeria’s legal profession.