For the first time in Nigeria’s legal history, four women simultaneously sit at the helm of the judiciary’s highest echelons, legal education, and the Bar. FAVOUR ABALAKA takes a look at the careers of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun (Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Supreme Court), Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem (President of the Court of Appeal), Olugbemisola Odusote (Director General of the Nigerian Law School), and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association)
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun
Born on May 7, 1958, in London, United Kingdom, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun hails from a distinguished Lagos family with deep roots in law, public service and community leadership. She is the eldest of 11 children in a polygamous family.
Her father, the late Senator Hassan Fasinro, was a renowned lawyer, politician, author and devout Muslim. He served as a senator during Nigeria’s Second Republic and belonged to several royal families in Lagos. Her mother, Winifred Ogundimu (née Savage), was a United Kingdom-trained public health nurse and devout Christian who built a distinguished career in the Lagos State Civil Service.
This unique blend of intellectual discipline, strong moral values and rich cultural heritage played a significant role in shaping Kekere-Ekun’s character and outlook. She attended Queen’s College, Lagos, for her secondary education before obtaining a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos in 1980. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1981 after completing her studies at the Nigerian Law School and subsequently undertook her National Youth Service Corps programme at the Ministry of Justice in Benin City. In 1983, she earned a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
