Few honours in Nigerian law carry the weight of the silk gown. This month, a litigator from Afe Babalola & Co. joined the ranks of Senior Advocates of Nigeria at 40, an age that, according to widely circulated reports, makes her the youngest woman ever to reach the rank. Her name is Olamide Mojigbotoluwa Adekunle, née Ehinfun, and her elevation is already prompting a wider conversation about who gets to the top of the profession, and how soon.
Adekunle was sworn in on October 12, 2026, by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. She was one of 68 legal practitioners admitted to the Inner Bar in the same cohort. Only four were women. In that context, her achievement is not only personal. It is a snapshot of how far the profession still has to go on gender balance at the highest level.
Her story is also a reminder of how rare early silk is. The rank is reserved for lawyers with at least ten years at the Bar who have shown exceptional distinction, and most arrive well into their fifties or later. Adekunle turned 40 in June, a few months before her swearing-in.
A note on the claim: legal publications have pointed out that the title applies to her as the youngest woman to attain the rank, not the youngest SAN overall. They have also noted that the body best placed to confirm it officially is the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, which keeps the records.
Adekunle earned her law degree at Obafemi Awolowo University, and later a Master of Laws in International Trade Law at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. As a student she interned in the chambers of a senior advocate, an experience she has credited with shaping her work habits: a willingness to put in long hours, to bring solutions to clients rather than problems, and to go wherever a matter demands.
She is now a partner at Afe Babalola & Co. (Emmanuel Chambers). Her practice covers litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, and extends to high-profile contentious matters, complex negotiations, strategic advisory work, and regulatory and policy questions for both public and private clients. Reports also point to oil and gas litigation and election petitions among her specialities.
Her professional circle includes figures from public life. Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has publicly celebrated her as his mentee, tracing their relationship to the 2010/2011 political season in Abuja, when her work ethic and Ekiti roots made a strong impression on him.
Since her elevation, Adekunle has used the platform to speak about a problem every litigant knows: delay. In recent interviews, she has argued that adjournments and slow trials drive up the cost of litigation, pressure parties into settlements they would otherwise reject, and sometimes lead people to abandon valid claims altogether. She has also drawn attention to the number of awaiting-trial inmates in Nigeria’s custodial centres.
Her proposed way forward is practical rather than sweeping. She points to election petitions, which operate under strict constitutional deadlines and are still resolved within them, as proof that Nigerian courts can work to firm timelines when the discipline exists. In her view, delays in ordinary cases owe as much to incentives and case-management habits as to a shortage of resources.
For young women lawyers, Adekunle’s journey sends a clear message: the road to the Inner Bar can be walked earlier than convention suggests. Her path combined solid academic training, years inside a leading litigation firm, and a record of work in demanding, high-stakes practice areas.
It also raises a harder question for the profession. If only four of 68 new Senior Advocates are women, then the profession’s pipeline, from mentorship and briefs to partnership and recognition, still needs attention.
Olamide Adekunle is now a symbol of what is possible. The next test is whether her elevation becomes the exception that inspires change or the first of many.
