Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is set to become the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), following the retirement of the current CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on August 22, 2024.
If confirmed, Justice Kekere-Ekun would be the second female justice to hold this position, following Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who served as CJN from July 2012 to November 2014.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, born on May 7, 1958, obtained her LL.B in 1980 from the University of Lagos and her LL.M from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1983.
She was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1981 and served in various judicial roles, including as a Senior Magistrate and a judge of the High Court of Lagos State. She was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2004 and later to the Supreme Court in 2013.
With a distinguished career that spans over three decades, Justice Kekere-Ekun is recognized for her contributions to the judiciary and is expected to lead the National Judicial Council (NJC) upon assuming the role of CJN.