I’ve been best-graduating student from nursery through Law School, winning scholarships —Oluwabusayo Ifonlaja, double First Class Law graduate of Nile University

Oluwabusayo Ifonlaja bagged First Class from the Faculty of Law, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, in the 2023 session, with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 on a scale of 5.0. He bagged another First Class from the Nigerian Law School, winning over 18 awards and prizes. In this interview by Kingsley Alumona, he speaks about his academic feat and issues bordering the Nigerian legal system.

Your university and law school academic feats are well known and widely reported. Were you this brilliant and exceptional while in secondary school? Which secondary school experiences, including your WAEC/JAMB outings, would you like to share with us that reflect your academic brilliance and intelligence?

My academic experience began from childhood. I was the best graduating student right from nursery to primary to junior and senior secondary school. I had a very decent WAEC result with five A1s, three B2s, and one B3. I represented my secondary schools in numerous competitions from the regional level to the national level. My transition from Mayflower Junior Secondary School, where I had my junior secondary, to Nigerian Tulip International Colleges, where I completed my secondary school education, was by virtue of winning a highly competitive series of scholarship assessments.

What inspired or convinced you to study law? Why choose to study it at the Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja?

My interest in law has deep roots, stemming from my childhood reverence for the legal profession. Law is a noble profession, and I wanted to be a part of it. The ambience and candour of the legal profession also played a huge part. Lawyers were held in high esteem and moved with confidence and dignity. The selfless activism of esteemed legal figures further motivated me to pursue a career and succeed in the legal profession.

My time at Nile University was by virtue of a fully funded scholarship, having graduated as the overall best student at Nigerian Tulip International Colleges.

From day one to the last day at Nile, it was a wonderful experience. The training, staff, and consistent innovation with Nile, the school did not just meet, but exceeded my expectations.

What aspects or areas of law interest you more? Also, tell us about your enthusiasm for intellectual property (IP) and tech work.

Currently, I am into oil and gas law practice, a journey that has been interesting and impactful so far.  At this stage of my career, I am keen on gaining as much knowledge and experience as I can. It is a learning process. That is why I probably find myself having an interest in various areas of law, IP and tech inclusive.

My journey with IP and tech began right from my time at the university. I took the course as an elective, which really sparked my curiosity, and with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy and protection, I have been more eager to engage in training and capacity development in this area of law.

While I find interest in several areas of law, an area that is particularly of interest to me is international humanitarian law (IHL), loosely referred to as the law of war. IHL is a special branch of public international law, which consists of rules that, in times of armed conflict, seek to protect persons who are not or are no longer directly participating in the hostilities and restrict means and methods of warfare.

My interactions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), finalist at the ICRC National Moot Competition 2023, and my time as president of the IHL Advocacy Club, among others, further spurred my interest in the field. My interest and involvement in the field earned me the Emerging Expert in International Humanitarian Law Award by the West African Law Students Association (WALSA) in 2023. Pursuing a career in this field would be a great experience for me.

What was your first moot court experience like, and what was the case about?

My first set of moot court experiences was not competitive. There were either class or student society activities where I learnt the rudiments of advocacy. My first competitive experience was an inter-chamber moot competition. It was a case of medical negligence where my team and I represented the claimant. It was both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience.

Gladly, my team and I won that particular moot. That experience led to more moot experiences, wins and losses. While the wins were a source of motivation and encouragement, losing also taught me the importance of preparation, composure, and teamwork, and it sparked my passion for mooting and advocacy.

Interestingly, that first experience laid the foundation for my later successes in national and international competitions.

What was the title of your final-year project, and what were the major findings from it?

My final-year project, ‘Interrelationship between counterterrorism frameworks in Nigeria and international humanitarian law’, examined the interrelationship between counterterrorism measures in Nigeria and international humanitarian law (IHL).

The project was centred on three major findings. Firstly, there are provisions of the counterterrorism legal framework that clearly violate IHL. Secondly, some provisions impede humanitarian action, an activity protected by IHL. Lastly, there are provisions that, although not necessarily violating IHL, undermine the incentive to comply with its principles due to the designation of non-state actors as terrorists, thereby diminishing the effectiveness of IHL.

You were the valedictorian of your university in the 2023 session. What were the major highlights of your valedictorian speech?

Being the valedictorian of my university in the 2023 session was both humbling and fulfilling. It represented the culmination of years of hard work, consistency, and resilience — but, more importantly, it was a platform to inspire others.

In my valedictorian speech, I highlighted certain key themes. I showed deep appreciation for lecturers, non-academic staff, university management, families, and friends whose guidance, sacrifices, and encouragement sustained the graduating class. I also emphasised that true success goes beyond personal achievement or status and lies in making a positive impact on society. Ultimately, the experience reaffirmed my belief that success is not an end in itself but a call to inspire and serve others.

In your LinkedIn post, you mentioned that you amassed over 18 awards from law school. Tell us about these awards and their significance to your law career.

I won numerous prizes, including awards for Overall Best Student, Overall Male Student of the Year, Most Promising Student of the Year, Best in Property Law Practice and Professional Ethics & Skills and the Council of Legal Education Star Prize.

These awards are significant to me, as they reflect the consistency, discipline, and resilience I invested throughout that demanding year. Further, the awards serve as both a responsibility and a reminder. They motivate me to uphold the highest professional standards, to remain diligent in practice, and to continually pursue excellence.

Did you hold many leadership positions as a law student? How were you able to manage your studies and leadership endeavours?

Throughout my time as a law student, I took up numerous leadership roles. Managing my studies and the responsibilities that came with leadership, though not easy, was largely through effective time management. While all roles were truly significant and refining, the leadership role I might have enjoyed the most, though a difficult choice, was my time as the president of the International Humanitarian Law Advocacy Club (Nile Chapter). This might be as a result of the passion I have for international humanitarian law.

What are the things you think the Faculty of Law at your university could do to make life and study easier for students and staff?

The Faculty of Law at Nile University always improves semester by semester, and since I graduated in 2023, there have been many more improvements. I would encourage the university not to rest on its laurels and keep on making improvements all round.

As someone familiar with the Nigerian constitution, if you were to recommend two things that have to be amended in the constitution, what would they be?

There are a number of defects with the Nigerian Constitution — some are ambiguous, others have lost touch with current realities. Laudably, certain amendments have been made to the Constitution. Probably what we need is a newly enacted constitution, though that may prove very daunting.

Looking at the Nigerian society and the challenges facing the legal system, with the executive arm of the government seemingly controlling the judiciary, and the rich and mighty having some undue influence on judges, do you think the court/law is the last hope of the common man? What do you think could be done to make the Nigerian judiciary truly independent and more effective?

I believe the court and the law are the hope of the common man. However, the court can only remain the last hope of the common man if we guarantee judicial independence through true financial autonomy, transparent appointments, accountability, and better welfare for judges.

What is the unique thing you want to do or achieve with your legal training, and why? And where do you see yourself and your legal career in five years?

I studied law because I wanted to be a lawyer and make an impact. Right now, I believe what is next for me is to engage in legal practice at the highest level. I recognise that I am relatively new to the practice, and it would require dedication. But, of course, it is a learning process, and I am ready for that.

I see myself becoming one of the leading legal practitioners in Nigeria and globally, positively impacting the lives of many through my legal practice.

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