The Joint FIDA Law Week provided a platform for robust conversations on gender inclusion and national development, as renowned legal practitioner and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, participated as a panelist on the theme “Transforming Rhetoric to Reality.” The session brought together key stakeholders in the legal and policy space to examine practical steps toward translating commitments on women’s rights and inclusion into measurable outcomes.
Speaking during the panel discussion, Akangbe, SAN emphasized that sustainable development remains unattainable without the meaningful inclusion of women in leadership, governance, and decision-making processes. He stressed that women’s participation should be driven by merit, competence, and proven capacity rather than tokenism or sentiment, reaffirming his longstanding advocacy for equal opportunities for qualified women as a catalyst for societal progress and national growth.
Read full statement below;
At the Joint FIDA Law Week, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN was invited to speak as a panelist on the theme “Transforming Rhetoric to Reality”
His message was clear and consistent that development is impossible without the meaningful inclusion of women. Not as a favour, not as tokenism, and certainly not on emotional ground, but on capacity, competence, and proven ability.
He reaffirmed his long standing commitment to advocating for women’s inclusion in leadership, governance, and decision making spaces, emphasizing that qualified and capable women deserve equal opportunities to lead and contribute to national development.
When inclusion is driven by merit and fairness, everyone win and society moves forward.
Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN Former Chairman NBA Lagos Branch
