On Saturday, 6 December 2025, female legal practitioners from across the South-West and other zones of the Nigerian Bar Association gathered in Ibadan, Oyo State, for the Egbe Amofin O’odua Women’s Inaugural Summit, where they called for professionalism, structured mentorship, and strict adherence to constitutional processes within the NBA.
The Summit, held at the World Lilies Hotel, brought together 122 registered delegates from Ekiti, Lagos, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States, as well as participants from other NBA zones. A welcome cocktail for delegates preceded the event on 5 December 2025 at the same venue.
Held under the theme “Evolving Role of Women in the Legal Profession: Striking a Balance between Professionalism and Gender Bias,” the Summit examined the realities confronting women in legal practice, the persistence of female gender bias, and the need to reposition female lawyers as central participants and beneficiaries of the evolving legal profession in Nigeria.
Participants acknowledged the existence of gender bias within the profession but emphasised that it must not be allowed to define or limit the progress of women in law, noting that competence, professionalism, and integrity remain the strongest tools for recognition, leadership, and influence.
The programme featured keynote presentations, panel discussions, and deliberations by a distinguished faculty, including Hon. Justice Toyin B. Adegoke of the Federal High Court, Akure Division; Mrs. Titi Akinlawon, SAN; Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, SAN; and Mrs. Bukola Ajao.
Goodwill messages were delivered by several prominent figures, including Her Excellency, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Deputy Governor of Ogun State; Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and member of the Egbe’s Board of Trustees; Hon. Justice Taofikat Oyekan-Abdullai (Rtd.); Mrs. Hairat A. Balogun, Life Bencher; and Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs.
Chief Wole Olanipekun’s goodwill message, which received a thunderous standing ovation, chronicled the history of Egbe Amofin O’odua, the 2019 zoning arrangement, and the rationale for leadership rotation within the NBA, particularly as it relates to the 2026 presidential election.
At the end of deliberations, the Summit resolved that professionalism must remain the foundation upon which legal practitioners, regardless of gender, secure leadership and recognition, and that structured mentorship frameworks should be developed to build capacity, guide younger lawyers, and institutionalise leadership succession among women.
The Summit further called on law firms, the NBA, and legal institutions to strengthen policy frameworks that promote fairness, equal opportunity, and gender-balanced representation, while encouraging female legal practitioners to embrace both their gender identity and professional excellence without compromise.
The Summit reaffirmed its support for the NBA’s zoning and micro-zoning arrangements as constitutionally guided safeguards for equity, unity, and inclusion, stressing that once decisions are reached through transparent and collective processes, such decisions should be respected in the spirit of professional honour.
In line with this position, the Summit reaffirmed support for Egbe Amofin O’odua’s adopted consensus candidate, Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, for the office of President of the Nigerian Bar Association in the 2026 elections, in accordance with historical practice and the 2019 zoning arrangement.
The Summit also noted with commendation the formal withdrawal of Professor Foluke Dada from the 2026 NBA presidential race in deference to the decision of the Egbe, describing the action as historic, selfless, and reflective of the highest ideals of the Omoluabi ethos.
Participants described the Egbe Amofin O’odua Women’s Inaugural Summit as a significant milestone in the ongoing journey toward empowerment, visibility, and leadership for women in the legal profession, and called on all stakeholders to align with the principles of merit, service, integrity, gender inclusiveness, and constitutional fidelity.
The Summit concluded at 3:30 pm, after which delegates were hosted to a dinner and a night of entertainment, with participants departing Ibadan on Sunday, 7 December 2025.
