The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has congratulated Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN) on becoming the first directly elected female President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). According to the minister, the election demonstrates Nigeria’s progress towards a more inclusive society where merit, talent and capacity determine leadership. Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that Dame Priscilla Kuye became the NBA’s first female president in 1991 through constitutional succession, while Badejo-Okusanya is the first woman directly elected by members. The minister said women now head key justice institutions, including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Nigerian Law School, Solicitor-General’s Office and the NBA. The minister congratulated Badejo-Okusanya and expressed optimism that her tenure would promote inclusive leadership, institutional excellence and lasting progress in the legal profession.