The 40-year ambition of Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa has turned to reality after he was formally called to the Nigerian Bar on July 7, 2026
His Call to Bar was the culmination of a long journey that began in the 1980s when, as a young student, he resolved to become the first lawyer in his family.
The youngest of 12 children—10 boys and two girls—Ohuabunwa had declared early in life that he would pursue Law, a decision that influenced his siblings to explore other professions.
While his family produced professionals in medicine, engineering, architecture, accounting and business, he remained determined to follow the legal path.
After secondary school in the mid-1980s, he sat for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination with the aim of studying Law. Despite scoring about 250, he was repeatedly denied admission into the programme and was offered English Language instead.
Unwilling to abandon his ambition, he spent four years seeking admission into Law, enrolling in IJMB and remedial programmes before gaining admission into the University of Maiduguri.
However, the university’s admission structure again prevented him from studying Law, and he was admitted into English Language and Literature.
Determined to remain connected to his dream, Ohuabunwa took Law-related courses alongside his programme and hoped his academic performance would secure him a transfer to the Faculty of Law. Despite his impressive results, the transfer was not approved.
He eventually graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature but continued to pursue excellence while keeping alive his ambition of becoming a lawyer.
Decades later, during the COVID-19 period, he returned to study Law and graduated with outstanding results. His journey to the Bar was further delayed by business commitments, but he eventually completed his professional training at the Nigerian Law School.
Speaking on his journey, Ohuabunwa attributed his success to perseverance, discipline and faith, noting that his decision to surrender his life to Christ in 1995 played a significant role in shaping his values.
Today, he is a businessman, entrepreneur, Harvard alumnus and legal practitioner, having achieved a dream he first conceived as a child.
His story, according to observers, underscores the value of resilience and the belief that delayed aspirations can still be achieved with determination and commitment.
