Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya has become the first woman to be directly elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), marking a major moment in the history of Nigeria’s legal profession. Her victory is more than an election result. It reflects changing attitudes within one of Africa’s largest legal bodies and signals a new chapter for women in legal leadership.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya won the 2026 NBA presidential election with 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 percent of all valid votes cast. She defeated fellow Senior Advocates Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, who received 7,934 votes, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, who secured 5,855 votes.
Her election makes her the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The result stands out because no woman had ever won the NBA presidency through a direct nationwide election since the association was established.
Although Priscilla Kuye became the association’s first female president in 1991 after taking over from the First Vice-President position, Badejo-Okusanya is the first woman to earn the office through a direct vote by members across the country.
The achievement is expected to encourage greater female participation in leadership within Nigeria’s legal profession and across African legal institutions.
She will take over from Afam Osigwe, SAN, and serve as NBA president for the 2026 to 2028 term.
Badejo-Okusanya brings decades of legal experience to the role.
She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002 after completing her legal education. Interestingly, her academic journey did not begin with law. She first earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Lagos before returning to study law and obtaining her Bachelor of Laws degree.
She later completed a Master of Laws in Commercial and Corporate Law at Queen Mary University of London, strengthening her expertise in business and corporate legal practice.
Her appointment as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2025 recognized years of excellence and contribution to the legal profession.
Her legal career combines private practice with public service.
She began her professional 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 former Governor Babatunde Fashola. She later served as General Counsel to the Governor.
Today, she is Co-Head of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice at Africa Law Practice NG & Co. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), reflecting her experience in dispute resolution and arbitration.
Badejo-Okusanya was raised on the University of Lagos campus in Akoka, where education and public service were central to family life.
Her late father, Professor Olufolabi Olumide, was a respected surgeon and the founding Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University. Her mother, Clara Folasade Olumide, also made history as the first female Registrar of the University of Lagos.
That background helped shape a career built on academic excellence, professional discipline, and public service.
Badejo-Okusanya takes office at a time when the legal profession is facing growing expectations. Lawyers across Nigeria continue to call for faster justice delivery, stronger judicial independence, better use of technology, and greater support for young practitioners entering the profession.
Throughout her campaign, she emphasized institutional modernization, protecting the independence of the judiciary, and creating more opportunities for young lawyers.
Delivering on those priorities will require collaboration with the judiciary, government institutions, and legal practitioners across the country. Expectations will be high, but her election has already become one of the defining moments in the recent history of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Her victory is not simply about breaking a long-standing barrier. It also reflects the confidence that thousands of lawyers placed in her experience, leadership, and vision for the future of the profession.
