Within the next few days, 82,213 eligible members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will elect a new President.
Like every important election, this one is about much more than personalities. It is about values, institutional culture and how the future unfolds for one of Nigeria’s most important professional bodies.
Although I did not eventually pursue legal practice as a career, the law has remained one of the strongest foundations of my intellectual and professional journey. I graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Jos, in 2007, a faculty renowned for producing some of Nigeria’s finest legal minds. It is perhaps no coincidence that the current Chair of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Uchenna Ogunedo-Oguntoye, is also an alumna of the Faculty of Law of the University of Jos. Watching Uche’s stewardship has been another reminder of the long lived tradition of excellence associated with our faculty. I’m immensely proud of her leadership.
As a student, I was very engaged in advocacy, politics and moot court trials, experiences that shaped my appreciation for justice, public service, and institutional leadership. I was eventually elected Deputy Speaker of the University’s Student Parliament in 2004 while in 200 Level.
Over the years, I’ve remained actively paid attention to the activities of the Nigerian Bar Association including speaking at its Annual General Conference few years ago. From that vantage point, I have watched the Association evolve, confront difficult questions and continue to occupy a critical place in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
The NBA has never been merely another professional association. It has consistently served as one of the country’s most important moral and institutional voices, defending constitutional democracy, protecting the rule of law, safeguarding judicial independence, promoting professional ethics and access to justice. At a time when our institutions are increasingly tested, the quality of leadership within organisations such as the NBA matters not only to lawyers, but to the nation itself.
For me, leadership is ultimately measured by three major qualities: character, competence, and capacity and those are the standards against which I have evaluated the front line candidates in this election.
I have listened carefully to the debates, read the manifestoes and followed the conversations surrounding all the leading contenders. My decision is therefore neither impulsive nor sentimental. It is also not rooted in identity or gender politics. I have to state that while my endorsement is not based on gender, I also make no apology for believing that Nigeria needs to have more competent women occupying positions of authority and leadership. Across every sector; law, business, academia, public service and politics, we must continue to expand pathways for qualified women to lead. Representation, when matched by competence and character, strengthens institutions. It broadens perspectives, enriches decision-making and inspires the next generation of girls and young women to aspire without limitation.
All the leading candidates come from my region of the country. My endorsement is therefore not about geography. I have met Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya only once in my Life at the Book Launch of Former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola in 2023 but I have, over the years, enjoyed an even closer relationship with her husband, Uncle Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, whom I regard as a respected mentor. Personal acquaintance alone is neither sufficient nor appropriate grounds for public endorsement, rather, my support is based on what I believe she represents.
There’s a simple but unmistakable Omolúàbí philosophy that appears to define her family background and leadership style, one rooted in integrity, humility, accountability, discipline and respect for institutions. Having observed her over the years, listened to her contributions to important national conversations and reflected on her public engagements, I have come to see someone whose temperament is matched by competence and whose vision is anchored in service.
No candidate is perfect.
Indeed, one of the defining moments of this campaign was the controversy surrounding comments she made regarding the cost of attendance and participation in the NBA Conference. Like many others, I disagreed with both the choice of words and the impression the remarks created. They were understandably hurtful to many young lawyers yet leadership should also be assessed by how people respond when they fall short.
She has since accepted responsibility, clarified her intentions, apologised publicly and engaged sincerely with those who felt offended. To me, that episode demonstrated something that is becoming increasingly rare in public life: the willingness to listen, to learn and to be accountable.
We should be careful not to reduce an individual’s entire character to a single moment, particularly where there has been genuine acknowledgement of error and visible efforts to make amends. Accountability is not the absence of mistakes; it is the courage to own them.
As Nigeria’s legal profession confronts profound challenges; from the welfare and professional development of young lawyers to tech transformation, legal innovation, institutional trust, ethics and the global competitiveness of Nigerian legal practice, the NBA requires leadership capable of building bridges rather than deepening divisions.
In Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, I see a leader with the experience, professional pedigree, institutional memory and relationships necessary to unite diverse constituencies within the Bar. I see someone who understands both tradition and the demands of a rapidly changing legal profession. I see someone whose leadership is likely to be strengthened, not diminished, by her willingness to remain accountable to mentors, colleagues, mentees and the institution she seeks to lead.
The election before the Bar is not simply about who occupies the office of President for the next two years. It is about the kind of institution the NBA will become over the next two decades. Will it remain largely a professional association responding to change or will it emerge as one of Africa’s leading institutions for legal innovation, digital transformation and policy leadership? I hope the next President chooses the latter.
My endorsement of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya is therefore not an endorsement of perfection. It is an endorsement of character over convenience, competence over rhetoric, institutional service over personal ambition, and a belief that the future of the legal profession must be built on ethics, inclusion and innovation.
If she is entrusted with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association by its 82,213 eligible members, I hope she will lead with courage, listen with humility, govern with integrity and prepare the Bar for a future in which Artificial Intelligence, data and emerging technologies will redefine legal practice across the world.
That, ultimately, is the Nigeria I hope to see reflected in the Nigerian Bar Association.
Reasonable people may reach different conclusions and I respect every member of the Bar who has arrived at a different choice after thoughtful consideration. Democracy thrives because principled people can disagree without becoming disagreeable.
My own conclusion, however, is crystal clear. The future of the Nigerian Bar Association should be shaped by leaders who inspire confidence through character, earn respect through competence and deliver results through capacity. After carefully considering the candidates and the challenges before the Association, I believe Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya best embodies those qualities and that is why she has my endorsement.
There’s one final reason this election matters to me.
As someone whose work focuses on artificial intelligence, governance, public policy, education and youth development, I believe the next frontier for the Nigerian Bar Association lies not simply in better bureacracy, but in intelligent administration.
Artificial Intelligence will fundamentally reshape the practice of law over the next decade. Legal research, contract analysis, litigation support, dispute resolution, legal education, compliance and regulatory practice are already being transformed across the world.
If Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya earns the confidence of the Bar, I hope she will seize this moment with courage and vision.
I’ll encourage her administration to champion five strategic priorities.
First, develop a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the Nigerian Bar Association that prepares lawyers for the changing future of legal practice.
Second, establish an NBA Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Law and Emerging Technologies to drive research, policy development and professional training.
Third, invest in data-driven governance by building secure digital platforms that enable evidence-based decision-making, improve member engagement, strengthen financial transparency and provide better services to lawyers across Nigeria.
Fourth, lead national conversations around AI regulation, digital rights, data protection and responsible innovation, ensuring that the NBA remains one of Nigeria’s most influential voices on the legal and ethical implications of emerging technologies.
Finally, create affordable AI literacy programmes, particularly for young lawyers, so that every legal practitioner, regardless of location or income, can acquire the skills necessary to remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven profession.
The NBA has always been more than a professional association. It has been one of Nigeria’s foremost institutional voices.
The next chapter of that leadership should be one that embraces innovation without abandoning ethics; technology without sacrificing justice; and Artificial Intelligence without losing sight of humanity.
If that vision becomes reality, the Nigerian Bar Association will not simply adapt to the evolving fourth Industrial revolution, it will help define it.
Whatever the outcome of this election, I hope members of the Nigerian Bar Association will vote not merely for familiarity or popularity, but for the kind of leadership that strengthens institutions, elevates the profession, and ultimately contributes to building the Nigeria we all aspire to see.
Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, Ph.D is a globally respected AI for Development expert whose works focuses on artificial intelligence, data science, public policy, education and youth development.
