The winner with the managing partner - Mr. Oladapo Akinosun SAN

*SCAD Competition Is The Brain Child Of Prof. Osinbanjo Says SimmonsCooper Managing Partner, Akinosun, SAN *FCCPC CEO, Irukera, Advises Legal Practitioners To take Keen Interest In Technology

His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON, Vice President of Nigeria, has emphasized the importance of acquiring knowledge in relation to technology as well as the critical nature of dispute resolution and advisory services in today’s society. The Vice President, while speaking at the 6th Edition of the SimmonsCooper Advocacy Development (SCAD) held over the weekend, expressed his excitement on redefining advocacy with the emerging trends and acknowledged the SCAD Finalists as some of the brightest young Nigerians coming into the legal sector.

Speaking earlier at the event, the Managing Partner of the firm Mr. Dapo Akinosun SAN, in his opening remark welcomed everyone to the event and congratulated the ten (10) finalists from the various institutions for making it to the final stage of the competition. He highlighted the fact that the SCAD initiative was the brainchild of His Excellency, the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN GCON, and how the event has gone on to help intending lawyers develop skills in legal analysis, legal thinking , rhetoric, research and writing. He stated that the competition has helped inspire candidates to cultivate an interest in public policy, development, sociology-economic rights, social justice and economic development.

The Panel of judges for this year’s SCAD included Hon. Justice (Dr.) Nnamdi Dimgba (Justice, Federal High Court of Nigeria), Dr. Adekemi Omotubora (Lecturer, Department of Commercial and Industrial Law, University of Lagos), Dr. Balkisu Saidu (Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legal, Research & Compliance Matters), Ms. Bashira Hassan (Ag. Head Corporate Communications, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation), Mr. Jubril Juma (Head of Product Strategy, Renmoney MFB) and Mr. Bode Olanipekun SAN (Managing Partner, Wole Olanipekun & Co.), whose specialization range from Intellectual Property, Data Protection, Information and Communication Technology, Competiton Law, Dispute Resolution amongst other practice areas.

Also speaking at the event, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, the Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC and also a founding partner of the firm advised that legal Practitioners take a keen interest in technology knowledge as this is the new oil in Nigeria’s economy, he also commended SimmonsCooper Partners for planning the event despite how turbulent the last 18 months has been. He expressed that talent isn’t the problem we have in the country but getting these talents to do the work and ensuring they do the work well, he emphasized the need to scale events like SCAD to all levels in society so talents can be nurtured naturally thereby being beneficial to all facets of society.

Mr. Babatunde Irukera applauded Simmonscooper Partners for the dispute scenario and how it has challenged the thoughts and creativity of participants in areas such as Data Privacy, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property amongst others. He also noted the fact that the competition since it’s inception in the past decade has gone to produce participants who perform remarkably well either at the University or at the Nigerian Law School or upon graduation.

He pointed out the importance of data in today’s economy as being the new currency and Nigeria as a country continues to be the extraction point the same way it was with the mineral resources. Additionally, he stressed the significance of developing a global framework for governance in relation to data in Nigeria and Africa by extension and concluded by offering internship opportunities at the FCCPC to the 10 participants.

The names of the 10 participants include: 1. Adewumi Victor Adegbola ( Obafemi Awolowo University) 2. Nafisat Adebusola Ogunsesan (University of Ibadan) 3. Akinyemi Daniel Ayomide (Lagos State University) 4. Alao Omeiza Joshua (Nigerian Law School) 5. Ayodele Samuel Oladele (Lagos State University) 6. Bada Oladunni Ikenna (University of Lagos) 7. Igweonu Chidera Stephanie (Enugu State University) 8. Nsofor, Oluebube Okwuchukwu (Nnamdi Azikwe University Awka) 9. Odeh Igwe David (Benue State University, Markurdi) 10. Olamilekan Olamide Adebanjo (University of Ibadan)

Bada Oladunnni Ikenna emerged as the first position going home with the sum of 1,000,000.00 Naira, an internship opportunity with Simmonscooper Partners as well as an additional 100,000.00 Naira from Core Bank one of the sponsors of the event. Igweono Chidera Stephanie emerged 2nd position winning the sum of 500,000.00 Naira and an internship opportunity with SimmonsCooper Partners while Alao Omeiza Joshua finished in 3rd place topping the sum of 250,000.00 Naira and an internship opportunity with SimmonsCooper Partners. The remaining participants from 4th to 10th didn’t go home empty handed as they were also rewarded with the sum of 50,000.00 Naira each.