The Ekiti State Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ado-Ekiti Branch, on Friday celebrated Barr. Adetunji Oso for his elevation to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Oso is the only Ekiti indigene who attained the SAN rank in 2024.
Speaking at the event, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekiti State, Mr. Dayo Apata (SAN), commended the NBA Ado-Ekiti Branch for its innovative welfare initiatives, including subsidised food items, discounted cooking gas, and the Lawyers’ Fruit Market. He described these interventions as exemplary responses to inflation and a model for professional community support.
Apata linked the initiatives to the broader issue of food security, noting that the Oyebanji administration has made agriculture a central pillar of development. He highlighted key achievements such as the clearing of 5,000 hectares of farmland, subsidised tractorisation on over 6,000 hectares, installation of solar-powered irrigation systems in multiple communities, and support to nearly 4,000 farmers with inputs and agrochemicals.
He added that more than 4,700 youths had been trained under agricultural programmes, while the state recorded Nigeria’s lowest food inflation rate in August 2025. According to him, these successes informed the establishment of Ilú Eye Aggregation and Trading Company Ltd. and Ounjẹ Ekiti retail outlets.
Apata urged lawyers to tap into emerging legal opportunities in agriculture, including land administration, environmental regulation, labour rights, and food safety law. He noted that the Ministry of Justice has already strengthened land documentation by processing over 2,000 Certificates of Occupancy through delegated powers from the governor.
The Attorney-General also listed the Ministry’s achievements under Governor Oyebanji’s administration, including the review of Ekiti State laws, publication of chieftaincy declarations covering 133 communities, free mediation of 2,489 cases with over ₦97 million recovered for indigent citizens, and disbursement of over ₦1 billion to families of deceased civil servants and retirees.
Apata thanked Governor Oyebanji for supporting the Ministry and commended Ekiti’s renowned legal icons such as Aare Afe Babalola, Chief Wole Olanipekun, and Chief Femi Falana for elevating the state’s profile globally.
Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Mr. S. B. J. Bamise, appreciated the Attorney-General’s leadership and the NBA for hosting the event during its 2025 Law Week.
In his goodwill remarks, Barr. Adetunji Oso (SAN) expressed gratitude to the state government and the Attorney-General for supporting him throughout the SAN selection process. He said although many receptions had been organised in his honour, Ekiti State’s recognition was especially meaningful.
Oso hails from Oye-Ekiti.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included former Attorney-General Barr. Dipo Kolade; Director-General, Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism, Barr. Wale Ojo-Lanre; Dean, Faculty of Law (EKSU), Prof. Babalola Abegunde; Chairman, NBA Ado-Ekiti Branch, Dr. Taiwo Omidoyin; and other senior members of the Bar.