ESQ Nigeria Legal Awards Set to Hold 13th Edition
The Nigerian Legal Awards 2024 ceremony will occur on Sunday, July 7th, 2024, at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. This grand event promises to be an evening of elegance, celebration, and recognition.
Announcing the date for the event, Mr Lere Fashola, Founder, and CEO, of ESQ Trainings Limited, Organiser of the Nigerian Legal Awards, promised that this year’s event is aimed to celebrate the best of Nigerian Lawyers and their achievements, given the present-day realities and challenges that affect all business sectors.
“The Nigerian Legal Awards, now in its 13th edition, represents a beacon of excellence within the Nigerian legal landscape. Established by ESQ Legal Practice Magazine, these awards celebrate the pivotal role of Lawyers as catalysts for economic prosperity and societal development. They serve as a platform for spotlighting exceptional achievements, innovation, and unwavering dedication within the legal profession.’’
According to him, the Nigerian Legal Awards 2024 will feature diverse categories, honouring excellence across various aspects of legal practice. From practice-based awards for law firms, to corporate in-house categories for in-house Lawyers, as well as recognising rising stars under 40 to Editor’s Merit awards for outstanding legal icons, each category will celebrate the exemplary achievements and contributions of legal professionals of its winners.
Some Categories for the Awards include Practice Based Awards for Law Firms, which is an award that recognises law firms that have demonstrated excellence in various practice areas, setting new standards in the Nigerian legal system. The categories include corporate law, labour and employment, M&A, fintech, banking and finance, intellectual property, real estate, and more.
Other categories include Corporate In-House Categories for In-House Lawyers in Companies, Rising Stars: 40 Under 40 Who Will Shape the Future of the Legal Profession in Nigeria, Editor’s Merit Awards to Outstanding Legal Icons.
Since the inception of the award, over 100 awardees have been honoured in 26 different categories. Some of the past recipients of various categories of this prestigious award include legal icons such as, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, SAN, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2019); Honourable Justice Muhammed Uwais, GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria; Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore, GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria; late Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, CON, SAN, former Governor of Ondo State (2015); Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, First Female Senior Advocate of Nigeria; Dr Sandie Okoro, former Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank (2019); Ms Beatrice Hamza Bassey, Group General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Atlas Mara Limited (2021); Prof Yinka Omorogbe, SAN, former General Counsel and Company Secretary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Mr Kofo Salam Alada, Director, Legal, Central Bank of Nigeria; Ms Tinuade Awe, former General Counsel and Company Secretary, Nigerian Exchange; late Abimbola Ogunbanjo, CON, former Chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (2018); Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN (2017); Chief Afe Babalola, SAN (2014); Chief Mrs Priscilla Kuye, First Female President of the Nigerian Bar Association (2010); Mrs Hairat Balogun, OON (2010); and other esteemed individuals such as Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, Myma Bello Osagie and Olumide Akpata, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association. Their collective achievements underscore the prestigious legacy of this award, and further affirm its status as the pinnacle of recognition within the Nigerian legal fraternity.
The Nigerian Legal Awards is endorsed by the Nigerian Bar Association, British Nigerian Law Forum, and the Nigerian Lawyers Association (USA), and has always been supported by Coca-Cola Plc, Seven Up Plc, Cadbury Plc, International Breweries Plc and Fan Milk Plc, among others.
