How our parents, UNILAG shaped Jumoke, my success – Badejo-Okusanya

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, the President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), attributes her and her sister's significant career achievements to the foundational values instilled by their parents and their upbringing. Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), shared that she and her siblings grew up in an environment that prioritized integrity, hard work, and excellence, rather than creating pressure to succeed.

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Not pressure. It was almost like we took it for granted that we had to excel at everything we did.

Speaking in an interview, Badejo-Okusanya explained that her family comprises four siblings, all of whom have excelled in their respective professions. She noted that her sister, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, serves as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. Another sibling is a dentist in the UK, and a brother resides in the United States, all achieving comparable success.

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And interestingly, in case people think that it’s just Jumoke and I. There are actually four of us. I have a brother who is in the States. I have a sister who is a dentist in the UK. And both my brother and sister are as accomplished as Jumoke and I. There was no pressure.

Badejo-Okusanya further elaborated that her formative years spent on the University of Lagos campus profoundly shaped her perspective. Both her parents, she recalled, led by example with discipline and dedication to their work. Her 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. This upbringing, she stated, fostered a natural inclination to excel in all endeavors.

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We grew up in an intellectually stimulating environment. We grew up on the University of Lagos campus. And both my parents come from very solid pedigrees, families that treasure integrity and a good name over everything else, and hard work.