7 Lawyers Who Made it to the YNaija Power List 2020

YNaija.com recently published the 9^th edition of its YNaija Power List – YNaija Power List 2020. The YNaija Power List 2020  is made up 100 Nigerians who are regarded as the most powerful young Nigerians in various sectors such as Media, Entertainment, Advocacy and Business. In delivering this year’s edition of the Power List, YNaija worked with an eminent jury made up of Ayo Bankole, Ope Adedeji and Tega Onojaife to review the list and ensure it remains truly “powerful.”

Here are the 7 lawyers who made it to the Power List:

#1 Laolu Senbanjo

Laolu Senbanjo’s life has changed quite a lot in a little amount of time. A decade ago, he worked as the Senior Legal Officer for Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Now, he is a New York City-based artist, whose “Afromysterics” style has appeared on everything from Nike shoes to television screens worldwide.

Laolu is a world music artist who draws influences from Fela Kuti, Sade (singer), Bob Marley, and King Sunny Adé. His musical style is deeply rooted in the traditions of Afrobeat and High Life, mixed with Afro-Soul and Reggae. Senbanjo blends singing in his native Yoruba language and often translates Yoruba folk songs, proverbs and his oriki into English.  He is an honoree under the Entertainment Category.

#2 Modupe Odele

Modupe Odele is a Startup Lawyer, Academic, Investor, and creator of digital products. She is a Writer and Personal Development Nerd, who often gives practical tips that help people improve on their everyday life on social media. She is unapologetic about gender-equality.

She is also an International Finance and Technology Attorney experienced in Technology, Business and human rights, innovative financing, Impact Investing, Gender & inclusive finance, Environment Social and Governance Advisory (Due diligence & Integration), Startup advisory, and Social entrepreneurship.

Over the years, she has worked with technology companies, funds, family offices and foundations dedicated to solving some of the most pressing social, economic and environmental challenges in the world today.

You will sometimes find her talking about how revolutionary technology like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Virtual Reality can be leveraged for real social impact. She is an honoree under the Advocacy Category.

#3 Temi Popoola

Temi inspires a generation of young powerful professionals who want to continue changing the world. In February 2020, she was listed on YNaija’s 50 Shapers of the New Decade and has been listed as one of the Top 50 Personalities on LinkedIn in Nigeria by The Ruby Hub.

She is a Lawyer, Journalist and Compere for high-profile events, who has over six years’ experience as a journalist and has been involved in radio presenting, as well as television and radio production.

One of her strengths is the ability to cause engagement in any space she finds herself – on and off stage and her growing audience on LinkedIn will testify to this. She is a honoree under the Influencer Category.

#4 Richard Akuson

Nigerian Lawyer, LGBT rights activist, Writer and Editor, Richard Akuson is the founder of A Nasty Boy magazine, Nigeria’s first LGBTQ+ publication, a two-time Abryanz Style & Fashion Award Best Fashion Writer nominee.

In 2019, Richard was named one of Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 change-makers for challenging rigid notions of masculinity, gender, and sexuality in Nigeria where same-sex acts can be punished with 14 years in prison.

He authored a tell-all essay for CNN in April 2019, detailing the circumstances that led him to flee Nigeria for safety in America and in July 2019, he wrote another essay for The New York Times‘ “Sunday Review.” The essay, “This is Quite Gay,” was prominently published in the Times’ web front page and appeared on a similarly prominent position in print the next day.

This year, Richard started a campaign demanding that Africa’s treasured artifacts are returned, and that the British own up to taking responsibility for lives that were taken when the artifacts were looted.  He is an honoree under the Advocacy Category.

#5 Reginald Aziza 

Reginald Aziza is a brilliant Transactional Lawyer and a fierce Litigator, Philanthropist, global citizen and a mentor to many young lawyers.

He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University with the highest number of awards and thereafter proceeded to the Nigerian Law School where he won a number of awards and was the overall best male student. He also attended University of Cambridge and graduated, winning awards as  top 3 of his class. Reginald is currently studying for a PhD in the University of Oxford and is an in-house Attorney at Chevron Nigeria.  He is an honoree under the Corporate Category.

#6 Timi Olagunju

Timi is a Technology Lawyer, Researcher, and Policy Expert with keen passion for leveraging technology and innovation to accelerate human advancement and prosperity within Africa and globally. He is a professional in the intersection of policy, law, technology/artificial intelligence, and innovation.

Timi is a board member of Feed To Grow, Africa, and also co-founder, Youths in Motion (YIM), which operates in Nigeria, Liberia, and New York.

Through his platforms, Timi has trained a combined number of over 40,000 youths across Africa, on the subject of ethical leadership, social entrepreneurship, open governance, and human rights. He has been invited to make presentations on the subject of open governance, open elections, and Artificial Intelligence-ethics, at the Department of State’s Educational Affairs Division and Association of Public and Land Grants Universities (APLGU) in Washington. He is an honoree under the Politics/Policy Category.

#7Adetola Onayemi

Deservedly, Adetola went home with The Future Africa Awards (TFAA) 2019 Prize in Public Service and has continued to serve. He currently serves as the Assistant Chief Negotiator for Nigeria & Head, Trade Remedies and Investigating Authority at the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN).

In furtherance of the mandate of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and Nigerian Economic Management Team (EMT), Adetola worked with a global law firm to develop a Trade Remedies Infrastructure for protecting the Nigerian economy from injurious and unfair trading practices from foreign countries and companies. He is presently working on the full implementation of the Nigerian Trade Remedies Infrastructure.

Through the NOTN and select committees in the Negotiating Forum, he also participated in the pivotal work of negotiating the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

He is an International Lawyer who is widely consulted on international economic policies, investment law, trade law and policy, intellectual property and technology law.  He is an honoree under the Politics/Policy Category.

Click here to view the full YNaija Power List 2020.