Biography of Olumide Akpata Esq. (SAN)

Born on 7th October, 1972, Olumide A. Akpata is a non-partisan Nigerian and hails from Edo State. Olumide Akpata is a certified Nigerian Legal practitioner, having obtained a bachelor's degree in Law from University of Benin, Edo State in 1992. He attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to bar on 15th December, 1993. He served in the National Youth Service Corps in Kano State.

Akpata began his legal practice in Delta state under the tutelage of Dr. Mudiaga Odje, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, OFR, who was one of the most seasoned litigators of his time. In 1996, Olumide Akpata relocated to Lagos and teamed up with his cousin, Oghogho Akpata, who had just set up the law firm Templars the previous year. Akpata joined in the formation of Templars at the age of 23, and has grown the firm into what it is today, as one of the largest law firms in Nigeria with a workforce of about 100 lawyers, including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, both of whom practice proficiently in diverse areas of Nigerian law.

Read: Biography of Chief Wole Olanipekun, OFR, SAN

Olumide Akpata is currently senior partner and Head of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group of Templars. He has participated in some of the major groundbreaking transactions that have shaped commercial law practice in Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian economy. He was chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL).

On July 30, 2020, he was elected as the president of the Nigerian Bar Association after acquiring a total of 9,891 votes of the total 18,25 6 ballots cast, defeating his closest rival Babatunde Ajibade (SAN) who polled 4,328 votes, and Dele Adesina (SAN) who polled 3,982 votes.

Read: Biography of Eyitayo Jegede (SAN)
 

Barrister Olumide Akpata became the first non - Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) president of the Nigerian Bar Association in July 2020. He is also the first NBA President to get married while in office as he walked down the aisle with his long time girlfriend, Osayamon Michelle May Ogbebor on May 14th, 2022.

While the traditional marriage held in his spouse’s compound at Ekenwan Road, Benin, Edo State on May 14, 2022, the reception held at Air Force Military Base, Airport Road, Benin, Edo State. The couple was joined in holy matrimony on October 2nd, 2022 in far-away Mauritius.

The bride hails from the influential Ogbebor Family of Bini Kingdom, Edo State, Michelle has a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the Queen Mary University of London and a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) from the University of Essex. She is currently a top executive and the Financial Markets Legal Adviser at the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, Nigeria’s Central Securities Depository (CSD), licenced to carry on the depository, clearing and settlement of all transactions in the Nigerian Capital Market.

Olumide Akpata is active on social media. You can connect with him via his official handles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.