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Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun currently serves as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She holds the distinction of being the fifth and youngest woman ever appointed to this esteemed position. This article explores the early life, educational background, and notable accomplishments of Hon. Justice K.M.O. Kekere-Ekun.
Justice Kekere-Ekun was born on May 7, 1958, in London, United Kingdom (UK). Her parents were both natives of Lagos State, Nigeria, and she is the eldest of eleven siblings. Her father, Alhaji Senator H.A.B. Fasinro, OFR, LL.D, was a devout Muslim from a noble lineage, connected to at least three royal families in Lagos. He was a legal practitioner who played an active role in politics, spending many years as a Crown Counsel in the old Western Region of Nigeria. Additionally, he served as the Town Clerk of Lagos City Council, a position comparable to that of a Mayor.
At the age of 56, in 1975, he voluntarily retired from the civil service. In 1983, he became a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, although his tenure was cut short by the military coup that overthrew the civilian government led by Alhaji Shehu Shagari in December 1983. He was also an author and passed away at the age of 99 on March 31, 2019.
Justice Kekere-Ekun’s mother, Winifred Layiwola Ogundimu (née Savage), is a committed Christian. She studied nursing in the UK and qualified as a Public Health Nurse before returning to Nigeria in December 1965. Upon her return, she pursued a career in the Lagos State civil service and eventually retired at the age of 60. Ogundimu is currently the matriarch of the prominent Savage family in Lagos.
Both of Justice Kekere-Ekun’s parents remarried when she was still young, leading her to grow up in a polygamous household with her father, stepmothers, siblings, and other relatives. One of her stepmothers, a teacher, had a significant influence on her upbringing. She was raised in a highly disciplined environment, where she learned important values such as hard work, integrity, contentment, and the ability to interact well with others and handle various situations. Her home was often filled with extended family members and other children who spent their holidays there, receiving additional tutoring and a disciplined upbringing.
Justice Kekere-Ekun received a high-quality education. She attended private primary schools before enrolling in Queen’s College, Lagos, in 1970, which was considered the best Federal Government College for girls in Nigeria at the time. She went on to study law at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, from 1977 to 1980, earning her LL.B in 1980. Afterward, she attended the Nigerian Law School from 1980 to 1981 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1981. She completed her compulsory National Youth Service from 1981 to 1982 at the Ministry of Justice in Benin City, Bendel State (now Edo State). She then pursued further studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she earned a master’s degree in law in 1983.
After obtaining her law degree and a master’s in law from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun practiced privately for a few years. However, the demands of private practice eventually became challenging to balance with her domestic responsibilities, prompting her to seek a more predictable work schedule. She applied to the Lagos State Judiciary and was appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in December 1989, marking the start of her judicial career. She was later appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State on July 19, 1996.
In September 2004, Justice Kekere-Ekun was elevated to the Court of Appeal. During her time there, she served in five different Divisions across Nigeria, including as the pioneer Presiding Justice of the Makurdi Division and later as the Presiding Justice of the Akure Division. On July 8, 2013, she was elevated to the Supreme Court, where she currently serves as a member of the Supreme Court Rules Committee and chairs the Supervisory Committee of the Litigation Department.
From November 1996 to May 1999, Justice Kekere-Ekun served as the Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, until the Tribunals were abolished. The Tribunal’s constitution included a police officer and a military officer, and the police officer gained significant insights into effective criminal investigations and prosecutions, which he later shared as a lecturer at the Police College. Recognized for her integrity and hard work, she was one of the first three judges of the Lagos State High Court selected to try financial crimes and money laundering offenses under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In 2003, Justice Kekere-Ekun contributed to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Ethics Curriculum Planning Committee, in collaboration with DFID and UNODC, which produced the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. She also chaired the Public Complaints and Training Committee as part of a UNODC pilot project to strengthen judicial integrity and capacity in Lagos State from February 2003 to July 2004.
The Public Complaints Committee, under her leadership, played a pivotal role in reforming the justice delivery system in magistrate courts by investigating complaints against magistrates. She also served as the supervisory judge in charge of the Apapa Magisterial District in Lagos State from October 2002 to July 2004. Additionally, she was part of the committee that drafted the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004, which introduced case management innovations like front-loading, pre-trial conferences, and ADR mechanisms to expedite justice. These innovations have since been adopted by most states in Nigeria and have been particularly effective in resolving electoral disputes.
Between December 2001 and December 2004, Justice Kekere-Ekun was a member of the Steering Committee of the Lagos State Multi-Door Courthouse, the first court-connected Alternative Dispute Resolution center in Africa. At the Court of Appeal, she also served on the Information Technology Committee, which was tasked with the court’s computerization.
Justice Kekere-Ekun has received several prestigious awards, including the Merit Awards from the Lagos State Judiciary in December 2003 and September 2013. She was also honored twice with the Distinguished Trailblazers Awards by the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum in August 2012 and 2014.
She is an active member of various professional associations, including the National Association of Women Judges, the International Association of Women Judges, and the Body of Benchers, where she became a Life Bencher as of February 8, 2018. She is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the International Dispute Resolution Institute and a member of the Ikoyi Club 1938.
Hon. Justice K.M.O. Kekere-Ekun has been married to Akin Kekere-Ekun, OFR, since December 1983. His strong work ethic and integrity have been a significant source of motivation for her. They are blessed with three children, all of whom are graduates and excelling in their respective careers.
Justice Kekere-Ekun is deeply committed to self-reflection, embodying the change she wishes to see in the world, and establishing her standards early. She believes in starting every endeavor with the same dedication and integrity that she intends to maintain throughout, principles that have guided her both personally and professionally.
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