Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on women to continue supporting one another, saying greater solidarity among women will accelerate progress and open more leadership opportunities across the country.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu described the senior lawyer’s election as a landmark achievement for women in Nigeria’s legal profession.

According to a statement issued by the First Lady’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, Tinubu said Badejo-Okusanya’s victory demonstrated that women could attain top leadership positions through dedication, excellence and collaboration.

“You should set the bar and make room for other women coming behind you. This victory means a lot for women in general,” the First Lady said.

Tinubu noted that women now occupy several of the country’s highest judicial offices, including the Chief Judge and the President of the Court of Appeal, adding that the NBA President-elect’s emergence further reflects the growing influence of women in the justice sector.

Describing the visit as memorable, the First Lady wished Badejo-Okusanya a successful tenure and praised Professor Foluke Dada-Lawanson for stepping down from the NBA presidential race and mobilising support for the eventual winner, describing the move as an outstanding example of unity and sportsmanship among women.

Earlier, Badejo-Okusanya commended Tinubu for the humanitarian interventions of the Renewed Hope Initiative, particularly its support for vulnerable Nigerians.

She also pledged that the NBA would partner with the First Lady and the Renewed Hope Initiative by providing pro bono legal services to vulnerable members of society where necessary.

Badejo-Okusanya said the visit was an opportunity to celebrate her election with the First Lady, describing her emergence as a significant milestone for women in the legal profession.

The senior advocate was elected on July 19 after securing 12,317 votes in the NBA’s 24-hour electronic election, defeating two other candidates to become the association’s 33rd president.

Her victory makes her the first woman to be directly elected as NBA president and only the second female to lead the association since its establishment in 1933, ending a 34-year wait for another woman to occupy the office.

Afam Okeke was also elected General Secretary with 8,478 votes. The newly elected national officers will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028.