Top 10 Richest Lawyers in Nigeria and their Net Worth (Forbes 2021)

In the next few lines, you’ll be reading about the top 10 richest lawyers in Nigeria in 2021. In my next post, I’ll be talking about the other two professions.

 

But first, get a sit to relax and be ready to be inspired….

In a typical Nigerian home, there are three 3 courses every parent wants there their

children to study.

Some go as far as forcing their children to study them against their will. These courses are

Medicine, Law, and Engineering.

Well, one can hardly blame these parents because with some few years ago, about a

decade or two ago, professionals in these fields are demigods.

They were the richest and the most respected in the society then.

Who wouldn’t want to have one as a child?

However, over the years things have changed, the economy has crashed and it now takes

more to be financially stable than being a lawyer or an engineer.

We now have so many electrical engineering graduates roaming the streets.

Medical doctors are now being owed over ten month’s salaries.

Lawyers now roam about on the streets without chambers to work in. Nonetheless, no

matter how hungry a lion can be, it can never eat grass.

Even though these courses aren’t food tickets again like they used to be, they are not

completely worthless.

They are still as lucrative as they used to be. Only the approach has changed.

Like I said earlier, in the next few lines, you’ll be reading about the top 10 richest lawyers

in Nigeria. In my next post, I’ll be talking about the other two professions.

But first, get a sit to relax and be ready to be inspired….

FEMI FALANA SAN ($80 MILLION) – Popular top 10 richest lawyers in Nigeria 

The first on the list who happened to be the least rich on the list is FEMI FALANA.

He is a Nigerian lawyer from Ekiti state, was born on the 20th of May, 1958. Also, he

studied law at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife.

However, he is the father of the famous Nigerian musician, Falz The Bahd Guy. FEMI

FALANA is a human rights activist married to a women activist FUNMI FALANA.

Even he is a full-time lawyer, he once ventured into politics.

In 2007, he contested in the Ekiti State Gubernatorial Election under the umbrella of the

National Conscience Party which he lost.

He went on to become the national president of the party in 2011. He is estimated to worth

about $80 MILLION.

GBENGA OYEBODE ($120 MILLION)

Gbenga is a Nigerian lawyer from Ekiti State. He studied law in Obafemi Awolowo

University Ile Ife.

Then he proceeded to study his masters in law at the University of

Pennsylvania in 1982.

He is the co-founder of ALUKO and OYEBODE. Oyebode specializes in advising firms and

companies on matters like oil and gas, investments, energy and power among others.

As we speak, he is the chairman of YAMAHA MOTORS.

He is also the chairman of Crusade Insurance and Okomu Oil and the chairman of ACCESS BANK PLC.

Mr. Oyebode is a strong and active member of the Standard Institute of Arbitrators and

International Bar Association.

He has also presided once over the Nigeria Bar Association on Business Law. It won’t

come as a surprise when you’re told he is worth about $120 MILLION.

WOLE OLANIPEKUN ($122 MILLION)

Wole Olanipekun is a graduate of la from the University of Lagos.

He was called to Bar in 2002. Hails from Ekiti state. A renowned lawyer who is the

managing director of Wole Olanipekun & co. Doubles as the founder.

He is also the current vice president of Pan Africa Lawyers Union (PALU). An active

member of the Nigerian Body of Benchers and International Bar Association.

He was the president of the Nigeria Bar Association, called to bar in 1976. Estimated net

worth of about $122 MILLION.

JIMOH IBRAHIM ($200 MILLION)

One of the richest lawyers in Nigeria is Jimoh Ibrahim who graduated from Obafemi

Awolowo University Ile Ife.

He is from Ondo state.

Furthermore, he did his Masters in Law (LLM) and masters in International Taxation

Degree at Harvard University Cambridge.

He is known to have invested in businesses like oil and gas distribution, resorts, Hotels,

Banking, Real Estate, Insurance, Airlines, Publishing, etc.

According to Forbes, he is estimated to worth about $200 million.

ADEWUNMI OGUNSANYA SAN ($250 MILLION)

This senior advocate of Nigeria studies law at the University of Kent.

He is from Lagos state. He is the chairman of Multichoice Nigeria Limited. I became a

senior advocate of Nigeria in 2016. A non-executive director at Heritage Bank plc.

He is also the chairman of the Trocadero Group of Companies. Estimated to worth about $250 Million.

WALE BABALAKIN SAN ($260 MILLION)

Below Adewunmi Ogunsanya SAN on the list is Wale Babalakin SAN who graduated

from the University of Lagos.

He became a senior advocate of Nigeria in 2002.

He was a conferred degree with national honor of “OFFICER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (OFR)” in 2007.

His father was a retired Justice. He was called to bar in 1982.

He is estimated to worth about $260 Million.

AFE BABALOLA CON OFR SAN ($300 MILLION) – Top 10 Richest Lawyers in Nigeria

Aare Afe Babalola is one of the most influential lawyers in Nigeria if he isn’t the most

influential.

He is the founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (Abuad). Abuad is the second

best private university in Nigeria.

Afe Babalola also owns one of the biggest farms in Nigeria. He has founded one of the

biggest law firms in Nigeria.

He is estimated to worth about $300 Million.

JOHN OLATUNDE AYENI ($600 MILLION)

Olatunde Ayeni is a graduate of law from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

He hails from Ijumu, Kogi State. Also, he was called to the bar in 1991.

Yeni was the vice-chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja Branch.

He was also a member of the Legal Aid Council in Nigeria.

He is estimated to worth about $650 Million.

TIJANI BABATUNDE FOLAWIYO ($650 MILLION) – Top 10 richest lawyers in Nigeria 

Babatunde Folawiyo is not just a lawyer, but also a business tycoon.

He studied at the London School of economics and also graduated from the University of

London. Where he obtained his LLB certificate in 1984.

He is interested in energy, shipping, real estate, and agriculture.

He is the Director of telecommunications at MTN Nigeria. His dad founded Yinka

Folawiyo Group.

Babatunde inherited this company from his dad in 2008 after his dad passed away.

He is the executive director of this company.

He founded also founded Folawiyo Energy Ltd,

a subsidiary of Yinka Folawiyo Group of Companies.

Tunde was also the non-executive director of Access Bank from October 2005 to

January 2014. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1985.

He resigned from the law in 1989 to face business squarely.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise if he is worth a whopping $650 million, making him the second richest lawyer in Nigeria.

JUBRIN ADEWALE TINUBU ($700 MILLION) –  Richest lawyer in Nigeria

The Richest lawyer in Nigeria is no other than ADEWALE TINUBU.

Cousin of the former governor of Lagos state.

Adewale Tinubu studied law at the University of Liverpool.

And he began practising law in 1992 as a specialist in corporate law and petroleum law

assignments.

He is the Group Chief Executive of OandO plc.

Babatunde was obviously born into a rich family. However, he has been proven to be very

industrious by several scholars in the country.

He practices law but got most of his wealth from businesses.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that he leads the chart of the richest lawyers in the country

considering the fact that he heads a multi-billion naira company (Ocean and Oil, OandO).

He is estimated to worth a whopping $700 million.

Evidently, even though there are so many lawyers roaming the street with their wigs on

begging for cases in court premises, a very good number of them are still bagging in big

from the law.

Wrapping Up on Top 10 Richest Lawyers in Nigeria

Although the majority on the list ain’t predominantly practising lawyer,

some of them like Femi Falana and Wole Olaipekun made millions of dollars from

courtrooms.

There are so many more who are exclusively into law and are making millions of naira.

So, if your passion is arguing in the courtroom, bowing to the judge and helping a criminal

proof that he is right, then don’t be discouraged by those you see on the streets.

You can still practice law and be a millionaire.

See you in the courtroom.