The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb, was a Special Guest at the South-South Zonal Conference of the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN), held in Port Harcourt on Friday, 30th October 2026. The Conference, themed “Mentorship and Legacy Building: Fostering a Culture of Mentorship of the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Law”, brought together jurists, legal practitioners and women leaders from across the South-South geopolitical zone.
The NBA President participated in a fireside chat titled “Women in Leadership: Influence, Impact and Legacy”, which gave participants a firsthand account of her journey to leadership. She shared her experience of navigating the demanding early years of building a legal career while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
She spoke on the need for women to overcome subliminal and subconscious biases that often cause them to underrate their own abilities and “punch below their weight”. She also stressed the importance of honest conversations about the factors that hold women back from breaking the glass ceiling.
The President called on women in the profession to embrace mentorship as a means of bridging generational gaps in the legal profession. She challenged participants to be intentional about supporting and nurturing younger women leaders.
She also outlined the vision of the NBA Women Forum under her leadership. According to her, over the next two years the Forum will concentrate on developing women leaders at both Branch and National levels, through mentorship sessions and platforms where participants can put what they have learnt into practice. She noted that increasing the number of women in leadership positions creates space for other women to rise.
In her closing remarks, the President urged participants to rise to the occasion and break every barrier on their path to success in the legal profession.
The fireside chat was engaging and enriching, and participants commended the candour and inspiration of the President’s personal experiences.
*Dr. Prince I. Azubuike*
*National Publicity Secretary*
*Nigerian Bar Association*
