Kudirat Kekere-Ekun

Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun

Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun is a Nigerian jurist serving as Chief Justice of Nigeria. Her career has included service in the Lagos State High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court before she became substantive Chief Justice in September 2024.

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Profile

About Kudirat Kekere-Ekun

Profile information current to 2026-08-23.

Nigeria · Jurist · 2 affiliations

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Known for: Nigerian judicial leadership; Women’s judicial leadership
Country: Nigeria

Jurist

At a glance

She has served as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria since September 30, 2024.
Her judicial career progressed from the Lagos State Judiciary to the Court of Appeal and then the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
She is the second woman to hold the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria.
She is identified as president of the National Association of Women Judges Nigeria.

Education and legal training

Born in London on May 7, 1958, Kekere-Ekun earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos in 1980 and was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981. She obtained a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in November 1983 and worked in private legal practice from 1985 to 1989.

Judicial career

Kekere-Ekun joined the Lagos State Judiciary as a senior magistrate in December 1989 and became a judge of the Lagos State High Court in July 1996. She was elevated to the Court of Appeal in September 2004, where she served as presiding justice in the Makurdi and Akure divisions, and was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court in July 2013.

Chief Justice of Nigeria

Kekere-Ekun was sworn in as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria on August 23, 2024, and as substantive Chief Justice on September 30, 2024, following Senate confirmation. Official judicial records continued to identify her as Chief Justice in 2026, including a National Judicial Council report on a meeting she chaired and a Supreme Court judgment listing her among the participating justices under the designation CJN.

Professional standing and significance

Kekere-Ekun is the second woman to serve as Chief Justice of Nigeria and is identified as president of the National Association of Women Judges Nigeria. Official Supreme Court and National Judicial Council profiles also identify her as a Life Bencher and use the GCON post-nominal.

Affiliations

Supreme Court of Nigeria Chief Justice of Nigeria 2024-09-30–present
National Association of Women Judges Nigeria President present

Timeline

1958-05-07 Born in London, United Kingdom.
1981-07-10 Called to the Nigerian Bar.
1989-12 Appointed Senior Magistrate Grade II in the Lagos State Judiciary.
1996-07-19 Appointed a judge of the High Court of Lagos State.
2004-09-22 Elevated to the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
2013-07-08 Sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; official biographies describe her as the fifth woman elevated to the court.
2024-08-23 Sworn in as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
2024-09-30 Sworn in as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria following Senate confirmation.

Additional verified details

Current context

The Supreme Court of Nigeria and National Judicial Council list Kekere-Ekun as Chief Justice of Nigeria. Current status is based on official institutional pages accessed for this profile.
The National Judicial Council reported that its 111th meeting, held on May 13, 2026, was conducted under her chairmanship as Chief Justice of Nigeria.
A Supreme Court judgment record dated February 20, 2026, lists her among the participating justices under the designation CJN.

Biographical facts

She was born on May 7, 1958, in London, United Kingdom.
She earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos in 1980.
She was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981.
She obtained a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in November 1983.
She worked in private legal practice from 1985 to 1989 before joining the Lagos State Judiciary.
After her elevation to the Court of Appeal, she served as presiding justice in the Makurdi and Akure divisions.
She is the second woman to hold the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria.
She is a Life Bencher.
Official Supreme Court and National Judicial Council records identify her with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger honor, abbreviated GCON.