Come Sunday July 28, 2024, all roads will lead to Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, where the school will confer an honorary Doctor of Law and Administration on the Pro Chancellor, University of Lagos, Asiwaju Wole Olanipekun SAN.
Olanipekun, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the immediate past Chairman, Body of Benchers, will also deliver the Convocation Lecture of 2024 set of graduates of the University. The occasion is the 17th convocation ceremony of the school.
In a letter dated March 11, 2024, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Ademola Tayo stated that the University decided to confer the honorary award on Olanipekun in “recognition of his lifetime of extraordinary achievements in the legal profession, high intellectual profundity, deep understanding of the applicability of the principles of law that demonstrate both a transformative impact and standard of excellence that provide, through example, inspiration to graduates of law”.
Prof Tayo stated further: “The University also recognises your leadership accomplishments in University administration, public service, and volunteerism. You have dedicated your life to serving this country with a patriotic zeal, and answering the call to duty in a career that spans many decades;
You have exhibited these qualities across the spectrum of cases you have handled, whether in litigation and dispute resolution, pre and post election resolution, commercial or corporate dispute resolution. These are some of the values which we, as an institution, cherish and live by, and you deserve to be recognised for them”.
This is not the first of such honors to be bestowed on the legal luminary. He holds Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters, conferred on him by the University of Ibadan in November 2014.
He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb.), Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (FNIALS), Fellow, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC) and Fellow, College of Education, Ikere (FCEI),
Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR). He also holds a Distinguished Alumnus Award of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (1992). Merit Alumnus Award of Amoye Grammar School, Ikere (1999) and Honors List of Ilesha Grammar School, Ilesha (1999).
Chief Olanipekun SAN was born on November 18, 1951 at Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State. He attended Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti, and then Ilesa Grammar School. Ilesa. He obtained his LL.B (Hons) from the University of Lagos and he was called to the Bar in 1976.
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