Quote from Malcomx on July 20, 2026, 11:01 am

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), making history as the first woman to win the association’s presidency through a competitive election and only the second woman to lead the legal body after Priscilla Kuye.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) secured 12,317 votes in the NBA’s electronic elections held between July 18 and 19, defeating fellow SANs Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe and Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro.

She is scheduled to assume office on August 21, succeeding Afam Osigwe.

Her victory crowns more than two decades of legal practice spanning commercial litigation, arbitration, public service and justice sector reforms.

Badejo-Okusanya’s Early life and Education

Badejo-Okusanya grew up in an academic household on the University of Lagos (UNILAG) campus in Akoka, Lagos.

She is the eldest child of the late Professor Olufolabi Olumide, a renowned surgeon and the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), and Clara Folasade Olumide, who made history as the first female Registrar of the University of Lagos.

Unlike many lawyers who studied law from the outset, Badejo-Okusanya first earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Lagos before returning to obtain a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the same institution.

She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002 after completing her studies at the Nigerian Law School and later earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary University of London.

Her career and experiences

Badejo-Okusanya began her legal career at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, one of Nigeria’s leading commercial law firms, where she developed expertise in litigation and dispute resolution.

• In 2017, she became a founding partner of Africa Law Practice NG & Company (ALP NG & Co.), where she now co-heads the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice.
• Her work focuses on commercial litigation, domestic and international arbitration, mediation and regulatory compliance, representing corporate, private and government clients.
• In recognition of her contributions to the legal profession, she was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2025.

Beyond private legal practice, Badejo-Okusanya has held several public sector roles.

• She joined the Lagos State Government in 2007 as Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reform under then-Governor Babatunde Fashola, working in the office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
• During her time in government, she contributed to justice sector reforms, public policy initiatives and arbitration legislation.

She later served as General Counsel to the Lagos State Governor between 2011 and 2015.

What you should know

Widely recognised in arbitration circles, Badejo-Okusanya is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and an accredited mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).

She has served on the Executive Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Nigeria Branch), the board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration and various committees focused on arbitration law reform and business environment reforms.

She is also a member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), ArbitralWomen, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.