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What OYINKANSOLA BADEJO-OKUSANYA Said
Beautiful Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, is the new President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). She is a distinguished legal practitioner and public servant with extensive experience in legal practice, governance and leadership. She made history as the first woman to be elected President of the association and the second female president in the NBA’s history. Her professional journey spans private legal practice and public service, reflecting determination, resilience and a commitment to continuous learning. Beyond her legal accomplishments, she is passionate about mentorship, leadership and creating opportunities for others to achieve their full potential.
She recounts her journey from confectionery to law, challenges of returning to legal practice, and how younger colleagues encouraged her not to give up.
The journey to professional success is not always straightforward, particularly for women navigating careers in demanding fields. For the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo, her journey has been one of courage, resilience, difficult decisions and the willingness to start all over again.
Speaking at the just concluded Arise Conference 2026, themed Impact, Badejo shared some of the personal and professional experiences that shaped her journey, revealing the challenges she encountered as a woman in the legal profession and the people whose encouragement helped her overcome difficult moments.
From starting out as a confectioner to becoming a lawyer, serving in government and eventually emerging as NBA President, Badejo said her journey had taught her that there was humility in beginning again and that people must remain willing to learn, regardless of their age or professional achievements.
According to her, she was 35 when she returned to university to study law as a second degree. At 58, she attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and at 59, she became President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
She noted that her achievements were made possible, in part, by the encouragement and support of people who believed in her at different stages of her journey.
“When I think about unstoppable impact, I think about the encouragement that moves a person into action,” she said.
Reflecting on her decision to return to legal practice after years in government, Badejo recalled that she left government in 2015 after eight years of service. At the time, she had hoped to continue some of the work she had been involved in under the Fashola administration by moving to Abuja to work with her former boss, who had become Minister of Works, Housing and Power.
However, the experience of working at the federal level proved more difficult than she had anticipated. She explained that the processes involved in federal government were different from what she had experienced at the state level, and the challenges gradually became frustrating.
It was during this period that she attended the 2015 ceremony for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Watching the ceremony inspired her to pursue the prestigious rank herself.
She subsequently returned to legal practice with a renewed determination to build her career and work towards becoming a SAN.
However, returning to the profession after spending years away from active legal practice came with its own challenges. Although she was a partner in her law firm, she discovered that some of the younger lawyers had more practical knowledge of certain aspects of legal practice than she did.
Rather than allow her position or experience to prevent her from learning, she embraced the opportunity to learn from them.
One particular experience at the Federal High Court, she recalled, almost made her abandon her ambition.
Badejo explained that she had gone to court to move a seemingly simple motion but needed the court’s permission to proceed. When she attempted to locate the relevant application in her file, she could not find it.
With several lawyers, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria, present in the courtroom, the situation became increasingly uncomfortable. The opposing Senior Advocate, she said, noticed her discomfort and began making fun of her.
Although someone tried to whisper advice, suggesting that she could make the application orally, she was so overwhelmed that she could barely understand what was being said.
Eventually, she remembered that she could make the application orally and proceeded to address the court. Although the matter was resolved, the experience left her deeply discouraged.
She recalled bursting into tears as soon as she got into her car and crying all the way back to the office. However, it was the encouragement she received from her younger colleagues that helped her regain confidence.
“They told me not to cry because everybody has a day like that. Even all these Senior Advocates that you see, all of them make mistakes,” she recounted.
For Badejo, that experience was a clear example of impact, explaining that encouragement does not always come from people older or more experienced than us. Sometimes, the people who help us find the strength to continue are those we least expect.
She therefore urged people, particularly women, not to become too accomplished to receive correction, learn from younger people or benefit from the experiences of others. On the impact of courage and encouragement
Beyond her personal journey, the NBA President illustrated the meaning of lasting impact with the biblical account of the five daughters of Zelophehad, recorded in Numbers chapter 27.
She explained that the five sisters challenged the customary arrangement that would have denied them their father’s inheritance because he had no son. They approached the authorities together and demanded that their father’s name and inheritance should not disappear simply because he had no male child.
Their request was heard and granted, and the decision subsequently established a principle that would benefit other women and families in similar circumstances.
She drew a parallel between their experience and the 2014 Supreme Court decision in Ukeje v. Ukeje, which affirmed that customary laws excluding female children from inheriting their father’s property were unconstitutional.
According to her, what made the sisters’ actions remarkable was that they were initially fighting for their own family, but their courage eventually created a precedent that would benefit generations after them.
“They could see the problem before them. They could not see everyone that their action would eventually help. And generations later, their story has reached us here in Lagos,” she said.
She described this as one of the ways to understand unstoppable impact, noting that the good people set in motion through their actions can continue to influence lives beyond their immediate circumstances.
Faith as a source of strength
Badejo also spoke about the importance of faith in navigating life’s uncertainties and professional challenges, identifying Philippians 4:13, which says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” as one of her favourite Bible passages.
She explained that the scripture had remained significant to her because people needed strength not only when opportunities came their way but also when things became difficult, when they had to change direction and when the results of their efforts were not immediately visible.
She stressed that faith did not mean every ambition would necessarily succeed as planned, but that God’s strength could help people remain committed to their responsibilities despite changing circumstances.
“I am still learning. I am still grateful, and I am still hoping that whatever next steps we take, God will give us the wisdom to recognize them, the courage to act and the strength to continue,” she said.
The NBA President expressed the hope that her journey would encourage others to recognise that impact goes beyond individual accomplishments. According to her, true impact is also measured by what people do to help others grow, succeed and reach their full potential. “That is the unstoppable impact that I pray our lives will create,” she added.
By: Favour Okore
