CELEBRATING A LIVING LEGEND: CHIEF (DR) WOLE OLANIPEKUN, CFR, OFR, SAN RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS UNILAG PLATINUM ALUMNI AWARD.

Today, Friday, the 17th of October 2025, another prestigious laurel was bestowed on a man of great accomplishment, honour and valor, the inimitable Chief ‘Wole Olanipekun CFR, OFR, SAN, by the Alumni Association of his Alma Mater, the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

I had the privilege of being in attendance at the 55TH Anniversary Awards & Recognition Dinner where the UNILAG Alumni Association conferred its most prestigious honour, the Platinum Alumni Award (Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award) on Chief Wole Olanipekun, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of the University, the legal profession, nation-building, and his unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity, and service to humanity.

The award ceremony, which held at the Banquet Hall of the Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos State, brought together eminent personalities from across the legal, academic, political, and business communities to celebrate an illustrious alumnus of the institution whose legacy transcends generations.

A Beacon of Legal Excellence
Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, OFR, SAN, a distinguished alumnus of the University of Lagos Faculty of Law, has become a towering figure in the legal landscape of Nigeria and beyond. Since his call to the Nigerian Bar in 1976 and his elevation to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1991, Chief Olanipekun has continued to chart new frontiers in legal practice, jurisprudence, and advocacy.

He is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most formidable legal minds, having successfully handled landmark constitutional, electoral, and commercial cases. His courtroom mastery, scholarly depth, and principled stance on rule of law have set a gold standard in the profession.

Leadership, Legacy, and Service
Beyond the courtroom, Chief Wole Olanipekun has served Nigeria with distinction. In 1991, he was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State and served for two years. He was elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in 2002 and served meritoriously till 2004. During his tenure as NBA President, he brought transformative leadership, advocating for judicial reforms, strengthening the independence of the Bar, and defending democratic principles at critical junctures in the nation’s history.

On 19 May, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Chief Olanipekun as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos. He had prior to this appointment served as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan and also still currently serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Ajayi Crowther University. As Chairman of Council in both University, Chief Olanipekun showcased his visionary commitment to higher education, institutional governance, selfless service and excellent philanthropic gestures. Under his stewardship, these universities recorded remarkable growth in infrastructure, academic reputation, and ethical leadership. At the University of Ibadan, he constructed and donated to the University a 350-capacity lecture theatre hall for the Faculty of Law. As Chairman of Ajayi Crowther University, he built the Vice Chancellor’s Lodge and other buildings, and constructed roads within the University.

A Philanthropist with a Heart for Education
Beyond philanthropic gestures to academic institutions, Chief Olanipekun is also a man of deep compassion and philanthropy towards humanity. Through the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Board, he has offered scholarships to hundreds of indigent students, supported community development projects, and championed the empowerment of youth and women, particularly in his native Ikere-Ekiti and across Nigeria. In Ikere-Ekiti, Chief Olanipekun single-handedly built and donated a hospital with state of art facilities, an ultra-modern church and vicarage, a computer laboratory, a High Court building with a well-stocked library amongst several others.

He has consistently demonstrated that success is not just to be celebrated but shared, using his resources, network, and influence to uplift others and build a society anchored on justice and opportunity.

A Proud Ambassador of UNILAG
Chief Olanipekun has remained an active and passionate supporter of his alma mater. His career and values reflect the very ideals that the University of Lagos seeks to instill in its students, that is, critical thinking, intellectual rigour, ethical responsibility, and patriotic service. These values have earned Chief Wole Olanipekun several honours including National Honours of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) and Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR). He is a recipient of several Honorary Doctorate Degrees. Recently, in July 2024, Babcock University conferred on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law and Administration. By the grace of God, on Monday, 20th of October, 2025, Chief Olanipekun will be conferred with yet another Honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D, honoris causa) by the arguably the best private university in Nigeria, the Afe Babalola University (ABUAD).

By conferring on Chief Olanipekun the Platinum Alumni Award, the Alumni Association of the University of Lagos honours not just a legal luminary, but a national treasure whose life’s work continues to inspire, influence, and illuminate paths for future generations. This

Celebrating a Living Legend
The UNILAG community, alumni around the world, and countless beneficiaries of Chief Olanipekun’s mentorship and magnanimity join in celebrating this well-deserved recognition. It is a moment of pride, a symbol of gratitude, and a reaffirmation that true greatness is not only measured by personal accomplishments but by the lives touched and institutions strengthened along the way.

As he receives the Platinum Alumni Award, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, CFR, stands tall, a living testament to what it means to learn, serve, lead, and leave a legacy of excellence.

Congratulations my leader and father, Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, OFR. SAN — May your light forever shines brighter.

Adesina Adegbite, FICMC, MCIArb (Bencher)

Secretary, West African Bar Association (WABA), and the Immediate Past General Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)