Olamide Ehinfun-Adekunle makes history as the youngest female SAN in Nigeria at 40

• Olamide Ehinfun-Adekunle became Nigeria’s youngest female Senior Advocate of Nigeria at 40.

• She was among 68 legal practitioners sworn in as SANs on October 12, 2026.

• She studied law at Obafemi Awolowo University and earned an LLM from the University of Leeds.

• The Afe Babalola & Co. partner has called for reforms to address delays and improve access to justice.

Olamide Mojigbotoluwa Ehinfun-Adekunle has made history as Nigeria’s youngest female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), attaining the prestigious legal rank at the age of 40.

The lawyer was among 68 legal practitioners sworn in as Senior Advocates of Nigeria by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on October 12, 2026, during the opening of the 2026/2027 legal year. Four women were among the newly elevated practitioners.

Her elevation marks a significant milestone in a legal career spanning more than a decade, during which she has built experience in litigation, commercial dispute resolution, arbitration and other areas of legal practice.

Born on June 25, 1986, in Kaduna State, Ehinfun-Adekunle hails from Ijero-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

She studied law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, between 2003 and 2009 before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School, where she completed her legal training in 2010.

She later obtained a Master of Laws degree in International Trade Law from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom between 2011 and 2012. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK.

Before joining Afe Babalola & Co., also known as Emmanuel Chambers, in September 2013, Ehinfun-Adekunle worked at D. D. Dodo & Co. and the Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation.

She subsequently became a partner at Afe Babalola & Co., where her areas of practice include complex litigation, commercial dispute resolution, oil and gas, arbitration, election petitions, transactional law and regulatory compliance. Her professional experience has also included appearances before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Ehinfun-Adekunle has said her interest in law developed during childhood. Her parents reportedly described her as talkative, a trait that also appeared in her primary school reports.

Stories told by her father about politics in the old Western Region and the legal career of Chief Rotimi Williams, popularly known as “Timi the Law”, also helped shape her interest in the profession.

Several legal practitioners have influenced her career, including Aare Afe Babalola, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Kehinde Ogunwumiju and Pastor R. A. Ogunwole. Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has also publicly celebrated her achievement, describing her as his mentee.

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Beyond her professional milestone, Ehinfun-Adekunle has spoken about challenges facing Nigeria’s justice system, particularly delays in court proceedings and the financial burden prolonged litigation places on individuals and businesses.

In an interview with The Guardian, she identified delays in the administration of justice as a major concern and called for reforms, including judicial financial autonomy, specialised commercial courts and measures to reduce the Supreme Court’s workload.

She has also highlighted the responsibilities that come with becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, pointing to professional conduct, mentoring younger lawyers, defending justice and maintaining high standards within the legal profession.

Her elevation places her among the country’s most distinguished legal practitioners and marks a notable achievement for women pursuing careers in law.