This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you consent to our use of cookies. Close

Africa Legal

Africa Legal

  • NEWS
  • JOBS
  • COURSES
  • CLIENTS
    • Sign in
    • Sign up
  • NEWS
  • COURSES
  • JOBS
    • Sign In
    • Sign Up
  • News
  • Courses
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Business A-Z
  • Post a job
  • Contact Us
  • Clients
CLIENT SIGN IN
Country
  • Uganda
  • South Africa
  • Kenya
  • Nigeria
  • Cameroon
  • United Kingdom
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Ghana
  • Tanzania
  • Zambia
  • Botswana
  • Morocco
  • Zimbabwe
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Sudan
  • Rwanda
  • Ethiopia
  • Angola
  • Egypt
  • Togo
  • Mali
  • South Sudan
  • Swaziland
  • Senegal
  • Malawi
  • France
  • Guinea
  • Middle East
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Gambia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Germany
Category
  • Profiles
  • Analysis & Opinion
  • Career advice
  • In-house
  • Latest news
  • Press releases
  • Africa Legal Blog
  • Women in Law
  • Innovation
  • Human Rights
Practice area
  • Agriculture
  • Arbitration
  • Aviation
  • Banking and Finance
  • Capital markets
  • Charties and pro bono
  • Company commercial
  • Competition and antitrust
  • Construction and engineering
  • Consumer products
  • Corporate finance and M&A
  • Criminal
  • Education
  • Employment and benefits
  • Energy and natural resources
  • Environmental
  • Financial services
  • Fraud & white collar crime
  • Funds
  • Governance | risk and compliance
  • Government and public sector
  • Health and safety
  • Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
  • Insurance/Reinsurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Litigation and dispute resolution
  • Logistics and transportation
  • Manufacturing and Industrial
  • Private client and family
  • Private equity
  • Projects and infrastructure
  • Real estate
  • Regulatory
  • Restructuring | insolvency and debt recovery
  • Shipping and maritime
  • Taxation
  • Technology media and telecoms
  • Travel and tourism
close

Registration

Registered Successfully!!!. We have sent you a confirmation email to your email address.
close


View My Saved News


close You must login to save your news
  • LOGIN
  • NEW USER

Login to your account

Forgotten your password?
or

Create an Account

close


View My Saved News


« Back

Passion Keeps Us in the Game

As part of a series on young lawyers in Nigeria, David Bukola, who practises in the city of Akure, spoke to Olamide Olaleye about working on the front line.

Jan 22, 2020
Olamide Olaleye
Share

When it comes to being successful, there is nothing sudden about it.

Dream realisation and goal actualisation come with deliberate decisions. But, most important of all is passion. It is this passion that has inspired David Bukola Esq, a principal partner of Paraclete Chambers who runs his practice in Akure, the capital and commercial centre of Ondo in south-western Nigeria.

Bukola has focused his legal work on real estate, probate matters, divorces, some civil and some criminal matters since during his three years of practice. He rents office space in the city, a busy centre of half a million people and the trade centre for the crop farming region.

Despite his passion for law, Bukola said there were many challenges faced by young lawyers starting out in Nigeria – the biggest being remuneration. “It is as bad as earning about N25,000 £ 54 and, below, monthly.”

“This is so discouraging, especially as it is accepted and encouraged by seniors in our profession – the very people who should be helping us.”

“It is always a ‘do-more-earn-less’ scenario with young lawyers doing all the legal research, drafting, filing and, sometimes, even going as far as undertaking personal services like keeping up with some paper work and services supposed to be the job of a court bailiff. To cut costs, young lawyers are used for virtually everything by their seniors,” he said.

Going forward, he suggests (and urges) the Nigerian Bar Association to introduce minimum pay for young lawyers and to enforce this is implemented. A minimum amount of N50,000 (£108) a month “would be good”.

“The current situation is humiliating,” he says.

Bukola says his passion for the law was inspired by a desire to help the oppressed and to create an ordered society.

As the principal partner of a growing firm, he is working earnestly on increasing his client base. Aside from phone and email conversations, he attends to two to three people on average every week. He shares his office with a colleague and they have a secretary coordinating their meetings.  

He was happy to share his experience of a recent case he handled which was about a tenancy matter at the rent tribunal. The case was undefended making it a smooth ride for him and he won.

Bukola graduated with a law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and he proceeded to Kano Law School in 2015 and 2016 respectively. He said he hoped life would improve for newly graduated lawyers in Nigeria and that the NBA would assist young lawyers in every possible way.

“Sometimes, when you are always being pushed to the wall, even passion can be frustrated.”  

 

David Bukola

 

To read more from in the hidden 'Lawyers of Lagos and Akure' series click here and here

 
 

Copyright : Re-publication of this article is authorised only in the following circumstances; the writer and Africa Legal are both recognised as the author and the website address www.africa-legal.com and original article link are back linked. A bio for the writer can be provided on request.

RELATED CATEGORY NEWS

Niche firms with elephant-sized impact Read more
Custodians of risk and reward Read more
An insightful look at competition, tra Read more

RELATED COUNTRY NEWS

Accelerating into the future Read more
Multi-million naira ruling against tel Read more
Nigeria still waiting for its data pro Read more
Africa Legal
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy and cookies policy
Members
  • Find a job
  • Take a course
  • Read news
  • Terms and conditions
  • Cancellations and refunds
Clients
  • Terms and conditions
  • Post a job
  • Host a course
  • Advertise
  • Share news
Connect with us
© Copyright 2023 | Africa Legal. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy