Credit for my achievements, and Jumoke's, goes to our family and UNILAG – Badejo-Okusanya

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President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has attributed the success she and her younger sister, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, have recorded in their careers to the values instilled in them by their parents and the environment in which they were raised.

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Badejo-Okusanya stated this while speaking during an interview on TVC News on Thursday.

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The NBA president-elect said she and her siblings grew up in an intellectually stimulating environment that emphasised integrity, hard work and excellence rather than pressure to succeed.

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Responding to a question on whether she grew up under pressure because of her accomplished family background, she said, “Not pressure. It was almost like we took it for granted that we had to excel at everything we did.”

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She explained that there were four siblings in the family, all of whom had excelled in different professions.

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“And interestingly, in case people think that it’s just Jumoke and I.

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“There are actually four of us. I have a brother who is in the States. I have a sister who’s a dentist in the UK.

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“And both my brother and sister are as accomplished as Jumoke and I. There was no pressure.”

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Badejo-Okusanya said growing up on the University of Lagos campus shaped her outlook on life, as both parents led by example through discipline and dedication to work.

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“We grew up in an intellectually stimulating environment. We grew up on the University of Lagos campus.

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“And both my parents come from very solid pedigrees, families that treasure integrity and a good name over everything else, and hard work.

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“My mum, for instance, would have a cold and take Esconade or Contact or whatever and go to work. My father, I always saw him push himself to be the best that he could.

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“So those were the examples we grew up seeing. There was no pressure. It was just something that we just knew we had to do,” she said.

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Badejo-Okusanya’s father, the late Prof. Olufolabi Olumide, was the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, while her mother, Clara Folasade Abiodun Olumide, made history as the first female Registrar of the University of Lagos.

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Badejo-Okusanya was on Sunday elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association, becoming the second woman to lead the association after Priscilla Kuye and the first to be elected directly by members.

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She is expected to assume office during the NBA Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt later this year.

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